Marriage of Convenience
by AlienAgainstTheWorld
Summary: AU What if Itachi never killed his clan & was still the heir? What if Hinata has to marry him? Read on to find out! It could be an itahina or a sasuhina. Not telling yet. This story has been DISCONTINUED, and a REWRITE has been uploaded under the title "Marriage of Convenience II".
1. The unexpected decision

**Hello, everybody!**

**This is conorlover here, with my first story. **

**This chapter is the revised (and hopefully better) version of the original chapter**

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

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Marriage of Convenience

Chapter 1: The Unexpected Decision

Breath pounding in her ears, Hinata ran as fast as she could away from the scene. In all her life, she had honestly never expected this. A scolding, perhaps. Maybe even a couple of slaps. At the worst, a furious tirade for some trivial mistake.

But this… this she had never seen coming.

The meeting with her father had been short, sharp and to the point. He had summoned her to his room, without any prior warning. The Hyuuga heiress had been training with Kiba and Shino then – for once actually training instead of watching her teammates going at each others' throats. So when the summons came, she had been wearing her training outfit, not to mention sweaty, covered in muck and drool (courtesy of Akamaru) and vaguely stinking of dog piss – basically in no condition to see her father.

Hiashi Hyuuga, however, would not suffer to wait for his so-called worthless elder daughter to change into appropriate attire. Fumbling nervously with her hands, Hinata had timidly entered his chambers, trying beforehand to remove as much of the muck as she could from her face and clothes. She attempted to console herself with the fact that at least her father would know that she was training.

Upon stepping inside, however, she found that Hiashi was not the only occupant. There were at least fifteen elderly men and women sitting beside him on cushioned seats. These were the esteemed elders of their clan. Hinata involuntarily shivered. Any meeting with the elders never seemed to end with her feeling particularly elated.

"What is with this disgraceful appearance?" snapped one of the old counsellors, an ancient woman with white hair pulled back in a bun, beady lavender eyes and a particularly nasty expression on her aged face. Hinata recognized her as Hyuuga Kiyoko, a distant relative on her mother's side, and an avid supporter of Hanabi from the very start. The woman seemed to have it in for her ever since she was a very young girl. Hinata vaguely recalled scoldings and admonishments. "Your attire is entirely inappropriate for someone who wishes to lead the clan. Are you trying to disgrace the whole bloodline? Now Hanabi, she would never allow this to happen…"

"Peace, woman," muttered another man with an irritated expression his face. "I am deaf enough already without having to listen to your voice grate on my ears."

"Enough," said Hyuuga Hiashi. Even though the command was said in a very low voice, all the hushed whispers amongst the assembly died down immediately. Their leader was not a man to be trifled with. "Hinata," he said, addressing his elder daughter now, "do you know why you have been summoned here?"

"N-no, father," whispered Hinata, stuttering and immediately hating herself for doing so. She risked a glance at her parent's face. He seemed particularly forbidding and stern today, even more so than usual. She took that as a bad omen. "Neji-niisan only t-told me that you had s-summoned me."

Hiashi sighed. "I thought so." Then his face became stern again. "The matter for which you have been brought here today is of utmost importance, both to you and our family. You have recently passed your seventeenth birthday, so we have deemed that now is the appropriate time to tell you of this issue."

Hinata mentally braced herself for whatever horror her father had planned for her. Hiashi picked up a scroll and unfurled it before him.

"This is a contract that was drawn 11 years ago, between two of the most important clans in Konoha," he explained. "The Third himself supervised the writing of this scroll, and the negotiations which had preceded it. The entire affair was conducted under utmost secrecy, for fear that enemy villages would get word and try to take advantage. This scroll has played a very important part in several important decisions made in Konoha."

Hinata nodded her head, trying to figure out the answers to 3 questions – one, what was the name of the other clan which had negotiated with the Hyuuga; two, how was it so important that the Third himself had to oversee it; and three, how was she connected to any of this? Coming up with a blank on all three accounts , she decided to shut up and listen.

"This scroll was an agreement between the Hyuuga and the Uchiha…"

Question one answered, thought Hinata smugly, trying to overcome her shock at having heard that the two clans, which hated each other right down into the fiery depths of hell and beyond, would stop going at each others' throats long enough to actually sit down and write an agreement.

"…and it was the first official accord we have ever made with the Uchiha since the dawn of time."

A bit of an over-exaggeration, thought Hinata, considering the fact that they didn't even know whether they had been around ever since the dawn of time. But it sounded impressive, and that was surely the intent.

"This document was very enthusiastically supported by the Third's former pupil and our present Hokage, Tsunade-sama. Its terms were thrown under doubt with the unfortunate calamity that was the death of the matriarch of the Uchiha clan."

Hinata had to fight very hard to control a snort when her father used the word 'unfortunate'. When the Uchiha tragedy happened, Hiashi had done all but strip down to his knickers and do the happy dance while screaming. 'I told you that the Uchiha were nothing but trouble. Demented assholes! See, their own son, the _heir_to their clan, has killed his own mother.' Unfortunate indeed.

"But after many discussions upon the subject with Hokage-sama, we have decided that the agreement must be upheld. However, we have been granted permission to slightly change the terms, with the blessing of Hokage-sama, of course. I will now tell you what is written in this document."

Clearing his throat slightly, Hiashi proceeded. _" Under the supervision of the __renowned __Third Hokage, Sarutobi-sama, this document has been brought to life. It details the union of the Hyuuga and the Uchiha clans, with the hope of discovering a kekkai genkai which utilizes__the powers of both the Hyuuga Byakugan and the Uchiha Sharingan. This document, which is a culmination of the wishes of both the Hyuuga and the Uchiha clan heads, Hyuuga Hiashi and Uchiha Fugaku, states that for the above to happen, a marriage of convenience must take place between Uchiha Itachi, heir to the Uchiha clan, and Hyuuga Hanabi, the younger daughter of the leader of the Hyuuga clan. The council __chooses __these two individuals because if an heir __wielding both the power__of the Sharingan and the Byakugan is born, then he will lead the Uchiha clan after Uchiha Itachi. If such an heir fails to make an appearance, and one with only the powers of the Sharingan is born, he will also lead the Uchiha clan after Uchiha Itachi. However, if an heir with only the power of the Byakugan is born, then the leadership will be stripped of Uchiha Itachi and will pass onto his younger brother Uchiha Sasuke. This marriage of convenience will take place immediately after the coming of age of both the individuals concerned. Signed, Kazuhiko Sarutobi."_

During this recitation, Hinata's feelings had slowly transformed from surprise to disbelief to horror. "Do you m-mean to say that Ha-Hanabi-chan is to be married to Uchiha Itachi?" she inquired in disbelief. "Y-You can't do that! He is 10 years her elder! And what will b-become of her training, her b-b-bright future as a shinobi of K-Konoha? She will have to let it go! She w-won't be -"

"Silence!" bellowed her father, and Hinata immediately obeyed. "I will not tolerate any rude interruptions from you, Hinata! Disobedient child! How dare you question the authority of the elders? Have you no respect?"

Hinata closed her mouth and stared at the floor, tears pooling in her eyes. What was she supposed to do? Say 'Ooh la la, I'm perfectly fine with it, why don't you just marry off my 11-year old sister right now?' Hanabi was her only blood sibling, her darling little imouto. How could they expect her to agree to it so easily?

"Anyway," Hiashi continued heavily, "I have no intention to marry Hanabi off. You got one point right. What would happen to her future? Such a brilliant girl cannot be cooped up inside doing household chores, making beds, preparing food, ordering the servants around. She is a prodigy. She should be at the beck and call of the Hokage, willing to lose her life for the success of her mission and for Konoha's safety, and skilled enough to prevent anyone from defeating her. No, she will not marry Uchiha Itachi."

Hinata silently heaved a sigh of relief. So Hanabi did not have to marry a man 10 years older than her. Thank God. Everything seemed to be fine now. However, her apprehension came rushing back with the next words her father uttered.

"As I said before, some of the terms and conditions of this contract have been changed, with the permission of Hokage-sama. We have decided that this marriage must take place, but Hanabi will not be the one being wed. She is too important to the clan. No, we have chosen someone else to take her place."

Hinata felt her entire body stiffen. Was this what she thought it was?

"The reason for choosing Hanabi at first was that she is from the Main House. The marriage is to the heir of the Uchiha clan, after all. We cannot just pick some wench from the Branch Houseand thrust her into the position. No, the girl must be from our pure family line."

Hinata's palms were beginning to sweat uncomfortably now. What was he planning to do?

"We have decided who will replace Hanabi. The girl we have chosen is practically a disgrace to her clan. She is easily defeated by her younger sister, and cannot defeat even a Branch House member. Her skills with Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and Genjutsu are practically nonexistent. She is a disgrace to her teammates and the Hyuuga, and is only good for keeping house." He fixed a scornful stare on his cringing offspring. "Originally, we decided that the Caged Bird seal would be put on her forehead and she would be stripped of her ninja status, sent to the Branch House and married to one of their members, to be a simple housekeeper, so as to not disgrace her family. However, Yamamoto-sama here so kindly reminded us of the agreement and the difficulty we were having in choosing an appropriate candidate, so we have decided to marry that girl off to Uchiha Itachi."

Hiashi had a very satisfied look on his face as he spoke next. "That girl is you, Hinata."

It felt like a thousand tons of brick had suddenly hit her. Married to Uchiha Itachi? This would mean losing her claim to the position of heir, and her place in the Main House. She would be an Uchiha, an unsuspecting and unwilling victim of this cruel and twisted plan.

While his daughter sat stunned at the ramifications of this news, Hiashi continued without bothering to notice her distress. "As you are not of age yet, you have another year to prepare for the upcoming nuptials. During this time, you will be taught all a prospective bride needs to know before marrying. You will give up your position as a shinobi of Konoha, and focus solely on how to become a proper housewife. The training will begin tomorrow morning. Your trainer will meet you in your room at 9 o'clock sharp. You will -"

"But otou-san," said Hinata desperately, "what of my position as heir to the Hyuuga clan? I can't just give it up-"

"Hanabi will be your successor as heir." The tone of his voice said that should be obvious to all concerned, and she was foolish for even asking. "She will be trained for the position. Now, as I was saying, you _will_ follow all the instructions of your trainer without question. That is all. You may go."

"No," said Hinata.

Already turning back to other matters, the members of this conclave froze, speechless at this unexpected refusal. Their eyes gravitated over to the Hyuuga head, who remained sitting calmly. As calm as a thundercloud moving across the horizon.

"No?" questioned Hiashi, glancing at her with a stern expression. "What do you mean by 'no'?"

Her fists were clenched, and her eyes were blurry from the tears that had accumulated there. "N-no, I will not a-accept this," muttered Hinata through clenched teeth. She saw the elders' bewildered faces and her father opening his mouth to say something. She raised her palm, beckoning him to stop. The shock of the council members increased tenfold. "I was born first, and I am the r-rightful heir. I am the elder. How can you t-tell me now, after 17 y-years, that I am not worthy?"

"Hinata -!" her father began in a furious tone, but she stopped him again.

"I am not telling you that I am a b-better candidate than Hanabi for l-leadership. But I will sh-show you that I am!"

"And how will you do that?" inquired the elder who suggested that she be married off, Hyuuga Yamamoto, seeming more amused than angry. "How will you prove to all here that you indeed are capable of leading this clan?"

She turned her head to gaze firmly into his eyes. "I will fight her for it."

"Unacceptable," bellowed Hyuuga Kiyoko. "Who are you to dictate terms to us, vermin? This cannot be allowed!"

"Actually, I think this is a good idea," interrupted Yamamoto. "This will prove which girl is stronger, and therefore, better suited to lead the clan." He turned to where Hinata's father sat motionless. "Just think, Hiashi-san. We still have one more year before the wedding. We can have it after she turns eighteen. Meanwhile, she will continue to learn the household lessons. If she wins, she will become heir, and we will search for another suitable candidate. If she loses, well, she will be ready to marry Uchiha Itachi. Also, this way, nobody can accuse us of being biased."

Her icy parent seemed to ponder this argument, then gave a brief nod of acceptance. "Very well," said Hiashi coldly. "But be aware of this: you will not miss a single one of your marriage preparation classes. And you will have to search for a trainer on your own. Also, you are currently stripped of your position as heir. You will be given the opportunity to earn it back when you fight Hanabi. If you win, the title will be returned. If you lose, it will be lost to you forever. For now, Hanabi is heir. You are dismissed."

Cold and formal, Hinata rose and bowed to the elders, then stepped out of the room. Once the door had closed behind her, however, she sagged against the wall, unshed tears finally falling out. How could they do this to her? How was she supposed to become strong enough to beat Hanabi, the unquestioned Hyuuga prodigy after Neji?

She began to run as fast as she could towards her room, which brings us back to the present time.

Hinata was racing blindly along with head bowed down and pearl-like tears spilling from her eyes. The whole world seemed like a blur to her, so she didn't notice when, from a corner she was just about to turn, Neji stepped right into her path. He caught hold of her before they could collide, surprised at seeing his cousin sister so distressed. Tear tracks streaked her face, and her lips were twisted in a furious sob.

"Hinata-sama, whatever is the matter?"

Concern tinted his normally impassive voice. He was surprised when Hinata broke suddenly away and dodged past him, crying, "J-just leave me alone pl-please."

Neji sent a curious glance behind Hinata's rapidly disappearing form and walked on, contemplating the weird habits of the heiress.

For Hinata, this decision of the elders seemed almost worse than the day when her mother had died. How could they discard her so easily? If her mother was here, she would have never allowed it. But there was no such help to be found. Hinata entered her room and flung herself onto the bed, crying bitterly.

Eventually, she managed to calm down a little, enough to think clearly at least. Hinata sought to reassure herself with the fact that at least she had a chance of getting her title back. However, this reminded her that she still had to fight and defeat Hanabi, that she had no one to train her, and her prepubescent sister would have no trouble mopping the floor with her.

That brought the tears back. Sobbing uncontrollably, the discarded girl cried herself to sleep.

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**I look forward to hearing your comments on this chapter. And yes, that is a polite way of saying "Review".**

**~conorlover~**


	2. Known and Unknown

**The revised version of the third chapter.**

**Reviews are always welcome ;)**

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

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Chapter 3

Perspective

Itachi sighed impatiently as he waited for his medic to make an appearance. His old one was out of commission after he had complained against her constant and frankly ghoulish perverted gestures. Though the old woman had denied it vehemently, she could not defeat the testimony of the heir of the Uchiha clan. She had been practically dragged away, and the head of the department had personally come to give an apology.

"She's a bit mad," he had stated sheepishly. "She causes a lot of trouble, but she's well-versed in the art of medical ninjutsu, so we have to keep her. I don't know what my deputy was doing, assigning her to you like that – she's well known for having an unhealthy interest in young men, especially those whom she considers 'attractive'. We have assigned a new medic to you – one of our best. I will personally make sure that both the old crone and the person in charge will be punished – so there'll be no reason to complain to your father, eh?" he had said while laughing nervously.

Itachi gritted his teeth. The director hadn't cared at all about how _he _was faring – the only thing that mattered to him was to make a good impression on the heir of the Uchiha clan, and subsequently, the family head, Fugaku Uchiha. Their patriarch held great importance in the village council, and those who were on favourable terms with him had an advantage in any enterprise they might devise. The little episode with the director had been no new thing – it was common knowledge that Itachi was the apple of his father's eye. People naturally assumed that if anyone struck a noteworthy impression on Itachi it would automatically earn the favor of his parent.

That was why they had always bothered _him_, not Sasuke. Even the sycophants invariably overlooked his younger brother, and Itachi was well aware that Sasuke resented him for that very fact. It would make little difference if he tried to explain that no sane person would want to be the object of so many vultures' interests. That was not the point. As his father's firstborn, and thus his heir, Itachi had been treated like a prince from the very start. People were eager to make his acquaintance, to please him, to attract his attention. His own father had done nothing to discourage it – Fugaku was pleased that people admired his son.

Itachi knew that what they said was true – that he was a truly exceptional young man, that he would make the clan very proud one day – and fully believed it. For as long as he could remember, his father had always favoured him over Sasuke. Whenever Sasuke had tried to gain their lord father's attention, he had failed, owing to Fugaku being too busy obsessing over Itachi to bother with him.

It definitely didn't help when Fugaku compared the two of them either. Sasuke was smart, but Itachi was a genius. Sasuke had passed in class with 95% marks, Itachi had passed with 97%; Sasuke had learned to do the shadow clone ninjutsu when he was 11, Itachi had mastered it by 5. It had been, and would always be like that. His father favoured him because he could and did bring glory to the clan. Sasuke was just another spectator to him, born to praise his heir. He didn't matter as long as his elder sibling was doing well.

To make matters worse, Sasuke resented him for being the one that their father always cared about. And yet, at the same time, Itachi could not help admiring the sheer determination and will of his brother. No matter how many insults he had to suffer, no matter how many put-downs or comparisons, the younger Uchiha had always shown utmost respect to his father and brother.

Even he himself hadn't managed that – inevitably, his father would criticise him for some trivial matter and Itachi would lose his cool. There had been several such incidents. One of them had taken place in his formative years – but he did not want to think about _that__–_who would? Another was when he was slightly older, in his early teens. He had protested against his father's training methods. The schedule allowed him virtually no free time, and he was sick of it. Itachi just wanted to be like the other boys his age – hanging out in the park, comparing their missions, bragging, and occasionally giving appreciative comments on the girls that they knew. Instead, he was forced to train and keep going on ANBU missions. After having to endure such treatment for years without end, he had completely lost control, and disobeyed his father in an unforgivable manner. He had been severely punished, and felt extremely guilty about the matter afterwards, but there was no one there to comfort him, to assure him that everything would be fine, no one like…

His mother. Mikoto.

Thoughts of his lost parent inevitably brought him comfort, in spite of the manner of their parting. Itachi didn't think he had ever met a kinder soul. She was the only one who had ever really understood him. He used to feel happy just seeing her, hearing her voice or simply having her presence near him. He had loved her more than anyone – more than his father, even more than Sasuke. She had always been kind and supportive, gifted with this special ability to spread happiness, even though she had never been happy herself, not really.

She used to tell Itachi otherwise, that he and Sasuke were the most important parts of her life, that just thinking about them gave her joy. He had believed her at first, had desperately tried to, but could not avoid the fact that she had been very sad for very long. Frustrated, he had asked his great-aunt Matsuki what was wrong, and she had looked at him gravely for a while, then finally proceeded to explain it to him.

The truth about his mother was hard to bear. Aghast, the child had tried to tell himself that it wasn't true, that his mother couldn't have loved anyone else apart from his father, but knew inside that… she had never truly loved Fugaku. She had been shoved into this marriage, forced to take him as her husband, and had never once protested for fear of shaming her family. It had been a marriage of convenience – all people of rank and power were forced into them. He himself knew that he would one day have to marry someone rich or powerful, and probably a complete stranger. Itachi had finally learnt what the reason for his mother's sadness was, even if could not fully understand it.

But she had never complained. Never, in the entire time that he had known her, had he ever heard her even mutter so much as a word of complaint – except once when he was 10. He had heard his parents quarreling over some issue, but could not discern what was being said. The argument had abruptly ended with a crash, and the next day Mikoto had a huge bruise on her cheek. He had been too ashamed of his own eavesdropping to ask her what she was fighting with her husband about. She had always supported him, even when Fugaku had ridiculed him, which was often in and of itself. Itachi was pretty sure that she would have been there for him through all the other arguments father and son had engaged in as he grew up. Unfortunately, she had never gotten a chance, all because of him…

He shook his head. It was no use of thinking about it now. It would only cause pain and misery. Sitting in his hospital bed, the master shinobi tried to recall what he was thinking about before he had started reminiscing about his mother, and nearly heaved a sigh of relief when he remembered.

His little brother had never once spoken back to their father. He was always the model of utmost respect, and yet the older man would refuse to acknowledge it, too blinded by his pursuit of power, recognition and ambition to do so. What a surprise it would be were Fugaku to learn that, in reality, it was actually Sasuke who had strength superior to his own – spiritual strength. He had never lost hope, and had continued to persevere in his dreams of rising out of Itachi's shadow, despite the continuous rejection he had received.

The older brother let a small, proud smile decorate his face, but that quickly turned into a frown. His sibling had been hurt far worse than he had as a result of his carelessness in the field, having suffered several wounds to his torso and legs. Sasuke had been stable the last time he had asked Shizune, though, so there was no need to worry.

Even though his little brother did not know it (it being necessary for a good shinobi to hide his emotions) and probably would not believe it even if he was told, Itachi cared a great deal about his otouto. Sasuke had really been far too young when their mother had died (murdered) – only 7 years old – and could not really remember her. This had always made Itachi slightly protective over him – he couldn't help it, really. He had always counted on the protection of his mother, so his subconscious mind refused to believe that Sasuke could survive without someone hovering over him in his defense. Since she was not around to do the job, Itachi took the responsibility upon himself. It had been 10 years since he had decided on that, and even though he knew it was pointless to worry over his brother like a mother chicken, he really could not help it. It had become a habit, one that he frequently criticised himself for.

He shook himself out of his reverie once he heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps in the corridor outside. Itachi cast a glance at the huge, ugly griffin clock on the wall in front of him (seriously, did Tsunade have no taste, or what?) and saw that it was 15 minutes past the time that his new nurse was supposed to come.

His eyes narrowed into slits in displeasure – there was nothing that he hated more than tardiness. Furthermore, the steps of the person rapidly approaching his room were light and carefree, obvious signs of being a female's. The thought left him feeling disgusted with the whole world – hadn't the stupid director learned from his previous mistake never to assign a woman to his room? Evidently not.

Itachi settled back with a groan – he couldn't even get rid of the medic now! Tsunade had warned him not to leave the bed, and threatened to beat him black and blue if he did. He wasn't scared of her, not really – he was just wary of the huge and inhumanly powerful punches she threw. A natural, sensible, and rather widespread concern in their village. The topic of complaints would have to wait until tomorrow, until the male orderly came. The fellow wasn't too fond of Itachi (apparently the girl that he fancied was 'madly in love' with him) but would have no choice but to get the warden for him. Then he'd be able to get rid of this annoying pest.

So resolved, Itachi then hardened his face, preparing to show her from the very beginning that he wasn't interested in her, although it wasn't likely that she'd notice. No one did – perhaps it was a rule in their guidebook: 'Disregard any and all expressions of disgust, as they are assuredly meant to test your devotion to him'. Or did fangirls even have a rulebook?

Itachi let out a startled gasp as the door slid open, immediately reprimanding himself for losing attention on the situation at hand. Such a mistake could be fatal on the battlefield. He slowly raised his head to see…

"You!" he gasped.

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Sasuke Uchiha was in a very bad mood.

The S-rank mission he had been sent on had turned out to be a complete failure, AND he had suffered more injuries then his elder brother. It was his first S-rank, and he had hoped to, for once, outshine Itachi so that their father would actually notice him for once. But, as usual, fate was against him, and he had returned badly bruised and beaten up.

The only consolation was that Itachi had, technically, failed his mission too, and had also not returned unharmed. However, while his brother only had a slight concussion, he himself was suffering from a pierced torso and almost mauled legs. The Hokage had earlier told him that the only reason Itachi was still in the hospital was because he was one of Konoha's most important shinobi and had to have a complete check-up before he went anywhere. Otherwise, he was perfectly fit. And even if the Uchiha firstborn had failed his mission, his father would turn a blind eye to it, continuing to brag about the missions he had completed successfully. He wouldn't even notice Sasuke. In the unlikely event that Fugaku did (which was _highly_ unlikely), all he would do was compare Sasuke's failed mission with Itachi's own successful first one, or comment on how his brother had managed to become an ANBU captain at the tender age of 13, whereas Sasuke wasn't even a jounin by 17.

But that was how it always went, wasn't it?

It would be both unfair and untrue to say that his earliest recollections consisted of how to please his sole surviving parent – that had come a little later on. No, those special places were kept for memories of his mother. He could only vaguely remember her: the swish of her pretty pink house yukata as she moved around, straightening cushions, gently directing the kitchen staff, making sure that her husband and sons were comfortable in every way and at every time possible. The sight of her smiling face each day after coming home from school as she enquired how his day had gone now held a cherished spot in his inner world. The way she sliced tomatoes, his favourite fruit, to make a salad just for him. He remembered her staying up all night after he had caught a cold, gently soothing him, wiping his running nose, giving him honey and lemon to soothe his cough, putting a wet cloth on his forehead when he turned feverish. There was nothing that could make him forget her kindness, her gentle nature, her motherliness, her affection, and most of all, her _love_.

It was all so much, and at the same time, too little.

He had been with his mother such a short time – only 7 years, and he couldn't even remember what had happened during the first 4. Sasuke had wracked his brain for memories of her apart from the ones that he already had, staying awake until late at night, searching, seeking for just _one _more glimpse of her lovely face, and sobbing himself to sleep when he failed each time.

He missed her so much.

His mother had sought to defend him against his father. As for Fugaku, he hadn't even cared about his younger son, the unwanted one, the reserve, to be used if something ever happened to the first, more precious child, just like a spare tyre. It had always been about _him_, the elder brother, his aniki, Itachi.

Itachi was the genius, the brilliant one, the pride of their clan, the splendid shining star who brought glory to his father. Their patriarch was proud to be called 'Itachi's father.' He did not care for the second son. The only reason Sasuke even existed was because his mother, Mikoto, used to complain about the conspicuous absence of their offspring every day from the house, and how she did not bear a child only to see him during breakfast and dinner. What his mother had actually been trying to do was lessen Itachi's training. However Fugaku would not hear of it, and insisted that she have another child to keep her busy. 'It will keep you off my back,' he used to say, Sasuke was told, 'and off Itachi's, too. Honestly, are you trying to ruin his future, woman?'

And despite all this, Sasuke had never hated his elder brother.

He had tried to do so, at first. He had wanted to despise him, to loathe the man that had taken the possibility of both fatherly and motherly affections from him. But he could not. Because he loved his brother.

His aniki had always been kind to him, been there for him, even helped to train him. He had attempted to protect him from their father's attacks, both verbal and physical. He had taken Sasuke's beatings, Sasuke's insults, Sasuke's blame, and had always tried to be the best brother that he could be. Sasuke recognized his attempts to protect him, to shield him from the harsh realities of the outside world, and he loved his brother for it. He knew that, at the end of the day, Itachi didn't want their father's attention as much as Sasuke wanted it. And he loved the fact that his aniki understood that, as well.

But there was no time to daydream just now. As mentioned above, Sasuke was in an extremely poor mood. Why, you ask? Not only was it because he had failed his first ANBU mission, but also because his medic had tried to molest him. He vaguely suspected that she was a member of his fanclub. She had the same whiny, violin-being-played-by-a-complete-amateur-who-really-had-no-talent-for-it voice.

With great difficulty he had managed to get a new medic. The hospital deputy director's secretary had angrily snapped at him (well, really Naruto. He couldn't even stand on his feet, much less walk down several floors on them) that most of the medics were in Suna, and that they could not afford to keep on reassigning him a new one. Even his name and clan title hadn't worked at all – the secretary was male, and his wife had apparently left him to join Sasuke's fanclub, so he wasn't exactly jumping from his seat to help the guy who broke up his marriage. Sasuke shuddered at the idea of the secretary's wife being his fangirl, or more accurately, fan-grandmother, since the man was actually 75 years old. The furious septuagenarian had only agreed to send another medic after Sasuke had requested Sakura go down there and threaten his manhood with her super-powered fist.

Perhaps in retaliation for these efforts, his new medic was a female.

The mission was a failure. He was bedridden for the foreseeable future. Naruto was screaming in his ear about how cute Sakura-chan looked in her new dress. His new medic was supposed to be arriving in about 15 minutes, most likely another fangirl – either his or his brother's, which equaled groping for him or gossiping and prodding about information on Itachi.

Could his day get any worse?

He closed his eyes and tried to shut out Naruto's obnoxious, orange voice. Honestly, had the dobe never learned anything except how to annoy people at the Academy? He tried to concentrate on other senses. Training while in the hospital. His father would be proud if he ever cast so much of a glance at Sasuke.

Suddenly, his ears pricked up. A very soft pair of feet were walking towards his door; small, hesitant, and definitely female. He would have thought that it was one of his crazed stalkers if they weren't so quiet– fangirls were always loud – and if he hadn't known that Shizune had banned them from coming anywhere near the Uchiha brothers. God bless that woman.

But back to the problem at hand. The feet were slowly but surely approaching his room – most unlike a fangirl's. Naruto was still snorting obnoxiously. And Sasuke knew exactly what was going on.

He only opened his eyes when the feet finally stopped at his doorway. The person outside hesitated for a moment before twisting the knob and opening the door to reveal…

"Naruto-kun! W-what are you d-doing here?"


	3. Perspective

**Hey, everyone, I'm back! Sorry for the long wait - it's just that I had exams and now I've got bronchitis!!! Anyway, the chapter below has really given me a headache, and I hope you like it!!!**

**Disclaimer: I own Naruto? I don't remember winning a lottery?**

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Chapter 3: Perspective

Itachi sighed impatiently as he waited for his medic to make an appearance. His old one was out of commission after he had complained against her constant and unending perverted gestures. Though the old woman had denied it vehemently, she could not defeat the testimony of the heir of the Uchiha clan. She had been practically dragged away, and the head medic of the department had personally come to give an apology. "She's a bit mad," he had stated sheepishly. "She causes a lot of trouble, but she's well-versed in the art of medical ninjutsu, so we have to keep her. I don't know what my deputy was doing, assigning her to you like that – she's well known for having an unhealthy interest in young men, especially those whom she considers 'attractive'. We have assigned a new medic to you – one of our best. I will personally make sure that both the medic and the person in charge will be punished – so there'll be no reason to complain to your father, eh?" he had said, while laughing nervously.

Itachi grit his teeth. The director hadn't cared at all about how _he_ was faring – all he cared about was to make a good impression on the heir of the Uchiha clan, and, subsequently, the Uchiha head, Fugaku Uchiha. The head of the Uchiha clan held great importance in the village council, and those who were on favourable terms with him had a great advantage. The little episode with the director had been no new thing – it was common knowledge that Itachi was the apple of his father's eye. People naturally assumed that if anyone struck a favourable impression on Itachi it would automatically work on his father as well. That was why they had always bothered _him_, not Sasuke. They always overlooked his younger brother, and Itachi was well aware that his little younger brother resented him for that very fact. As his father's firstborn, and thus his heir, he had been treated like a prince from the very start. People were eager to make his acquaintance, to please him, to attract his attention. His own father had done nothing to discourage it – it pleased him that people admired his son. He knew that what they said was true – that Itachi was a truly exceptional young man, that he would make the clan very proud one day – and fully believed it. For as long as he could remember, his father had always favoured him over Sasuke. Whenever Sasuke had tried to gain their father's attention, he had failed, because Fugaku was too busy with Itachi to bother about him. It definitely didn't help when Fugaku compared Itachi with Sasuke, either. Sasuke was smart, but Itachi was a genius; Sasuke had passed in class with 95% marks, Itachi had passed with 97%; Sasuke had learnt to do the shadow clone ninjutsu when he was 11, Itachi had mastered it by 5. It had been, and would always be like that. His father favoured him because he could and did bring glory to the clan. Sasuke was just another spectator to him, born to praise his heir. He didn't matter as long as Itachi was doing well. Itachi knew that Sasuke resented him for being the one that their father always cared about, but, at the same time, could not help admiring the sheer determination and will of his brother. No matter how many insults he had to suffer, no matter how many put-downs or comparisons, the younger Uchiha had always only shown utmost respect to his father and his brother. Even he himself hadn't managed that – inevitably, his father would criticise him for some trivial matter and Itachi would lose his cool. There had been several incidences. One of them had taken place in his early pre-teens – but he did not want to think about _that – _who would? Another was when he was slightly elder, in his early teens, he had protested against his father's training methods. He was always training, and sick of it. He just wanted to be like the other boys his age – hang out in the park, comparing their missions, bragging, and, occasionally, giving appreciative comments on the girls that they knew. Instead, he was forced to train and keep on going on ANBU missions. He had completely lost his control, and disobeyed his father in an unforgivable manner. He had been severely punished, and had felt extremely guilty about the matter afterwards, but there was no one there to comfort him, to ensure him that everything would be fine, no one like his mother…

Ah, his mother. Itachi didn't think he had ever met anyone with a kinder soul. She was the only one who had ever really understood him. He used to feel happy just seeing her, or by hearing her voice or just feeling her presence near him. He had loved her more than anyone – more than his father, even more than Sasuke. She had always been kind and supportive, always with this special ability to spread happiness, even though she had never been happy herself, not really. She used to tell Itachi otherwise, that he and Sasuke were the most important parts of her life, that just thinking about them she felt happy. He had believed her at first, had desperately tried to, but could not hide the fact that she was very sad for very long. Desperate, he had asked his great-aunt Matsuki what was wrong, and she had looked at him gravely for a while, then told him. He had tried to tell himself that it wasn't true, that his mother couldn't have loved anyone else apart from his father, but knew inside that it was true – his mother had never loved his father. She had been shoved into this marriage, had been forced to, and had never once protested for fear of shaming her family. It had been a marriage of convenience – all people of rank and power were forced into them. He himself knew that he would have to marry someone rich or powerful, and probably a complete stranger, one day. He had finally known what the reason for his mother's sadness was, even if could not fully understand it. But she had never complained. Never once, in the entire time that he had ever known her, had he ever heard her even mutter so much as a word of complaint – except once when he was 10. He had heard his mother yelling at his father, but could not discern what was being said. The argument had abruptly ended with a crash, and the next day his mother had a huge bruise on her cheek. He had been too ashamed of his own eavesdropping to ask her what she was fighting with their father about. She had always supported him, even when his father had ridiculed him, which was often in itself. He was pretty sure that she would have supported him through all the other arguments he had had with his father as he grew up. Unfortunately, she had never got a chance, all because of him…

He shook his head. It was no use of thinking about it now, no matter how much it hurt or the fact that he still blamed himself despite what the others had told him. It would only cause pain and misery. He tried to remember what he was thinking about before he had started reminiscing about his mother, and nearly heaved a sigh of relief when he remembered his brother. His little brother had never once spoken back to their father. He was always the model of utmost respect, and yet his father would never once acknowledge it, too blind in his pursuit for power, recognition and ambition todo so. He sighed mentally. When would his father notice that, in reality, it was really brother who had strength superior to his won – spiritual strength. He had never lost hope, and had continued to persevere in his dreams of their father noticing him, despite the continuous rejection he had received. He let a small, proud smile decorate his face, but that quickly turned into a frown. His little brother had been hurt far worse than he had, having suffered several wounds to his torso and legs. He had been stable the last time he had asked Shizune, though, so there was no need to worry. Even though his little brother did not know it (since Itachi was such an expert in hiding his emotions – it was necessary for a good shinobi to do so) and probably would not believe it even if he was told so, Itachi cared a great deal about his otouto. Sasuke had really been far too young when their mother had died (it took all his willpower not to say 'when his mother had been murdered') – only 7 years old – and could not really remember her. This had always made Itachi slightly possessive over him – he couldn't help it, really. He had always been brought up being protected by his mother, so his subconscious mind refused to believe that Sasuke could survive without someone protective and shielding like his mother hovering over him. Since she was not around to do the job, Itachi took the responsibility himself. It had been 10 years since he had decided on that, and even though he knew it was pointless to worry over his brother like a mother chicken, he really could not help it. It had become a habit, and one that he frequently criticised himself for.

He shook himself out of his reverie once he heard the unmistakeable sound of footsteps in the corridor outside. He cast a glance at the huge, ugly griffin clock on the wall in front of him (seriously, did Tsunade have no taste, or what?) and saw that it was 15 minutes past the time that his new nurse was supposed to come. He narrowed his eyes into slits in displeasure – there was nothing that he hated more than tardiness. Furthermore, the steps of the person rapidly approaching his room were light and carefree, obvious signs of being a females footstep's. He mentally groaned in frustration – hadn't the stupid director learnt from his previous mistake never to assign a female human to his room? Evidently not. He mentally groaned again – he couldn't even get rid of the medic now! Tsunade had warned him not to leave the bed, and threatened to beat him black and blue if he did. He wasn't scared of her, not really – he was just wary of the huge and inhumanly powerful punches she threw. He would have to wait until tomorrow, until the male orderly came. He wasn't too fond of Itachi (apparently the girl that he fancied was 'madly in love' with Itachi) and would gladly get the warden for him. Then he'd be able to get rid of this annoying fangirl. He sighed once and then hardened his face, preparing to show the fangirl from the very beginning that he wasn't interested in her, although it wasn't likely that she's notice. No one did – he wondered if it was a rule in their guide of rulebook. Or did fangirls even have a rulebook. He let out a startled gasp as the door slid open, immediately mentally reprimanding himself for losing attention on the immediate situation at hand. Such a mistake could be fatal on the battlefield. He slowly rose his head to see…

"You!" he gasped.

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha was in a very bad mood. The S-rank mission he had been sent to had turned out to be a complete failure, AND he had suffered more injuries then his elder brother. It was the first S-rank he had, and he had hoped to, for once, outshine his brother on this so that his father would actually notice him for once. But, as usual, fate was against him, and he had returned badly bruised and beaten up. The only consolation was that Itachi had, technically, failed his mission too, and had also not returned unharmed. However, while his brother only had a slight concussion, he himself was suffering from a pierced torso and almost mauled legs. The Hokage had earlier told him that the only reason his brother was still in the hospital was because he was one of Konoha's most important shinobi and had to have a complete check-up before he went anywhere. Otherwise, he was completely fit. And even if Itachi had failed his mission, his father would turn a blind eye to it, continuing to brag about the missions he had completed successfully. He wouldn't even notice Sasuke. And even if he did (which was highly unlikely), all he would do was compare Sasuke's failed mission with Itachi's own successful first one, or comment on how his brother had managed to become an ANBU captain at the tender age of 13, whereas Sasuke wasn't even a jounin by 17.

But that was how it always was, wasn't it?

It would be both unfair and untrue to say that his earliest memories consisted of how to please his father – they had come a little later on. No, those special places were kept for memories of his mother. He could only vaguely remember her. He could remember the swish of her pretty pink house yukata as she moved around, straightening cushions, gently directing the kitchen staff, making sure that his husband and sons were comfortable in every way and at every time possible. He remembered her smiling face every day after coming home from school, as she enquired how his day had gone. He remembered her slicing tomatoes, his favourite fruit into slices to make a salad just for him. He remembered her staying up all night after he had caught a cold, gently soothing him, wiping his running nose, giving him honey and lemon to soothe his cough, putting a wet cloth on his forehead when he turned feverish. He remembered her kindness, her gentle nature, her motherliness, her affection, and, most of all, her _love_.

It was all too less.

He had been with his mother was such a short time – only 7 years, and he couldn't even remember what had happened during the first 4. He had wracked his brain for memories of her apart from the ones that he already remembered, staying awake until late night, searching, searching his brain for just _one_ more glimpse of her lovely face, and sobbing himself asleep when he failed each time.

He missed her so much.

His mother was the only one who had really defended himself against his father. As for Fugaku, he hadn't even cared about his younger son, the unwanted one, the spare, to be used if something ever happened to the first, more precious one, just like a spare tyre. It had always been about _him_, his elder brother, his aniki, Itachi.

His father had always preferred Itachi to him. Itachi was the genius, the brilliant one, the pride of their clan, the one who brought glory to his father. His father was proud to be called 'Itachi's father.' He did not care for the second son. The only reason he had agreed for him was because his wife, Mikoto, used to complain about the conspicuous absence of their son every day from the house, and how she did not bear a child only to see him during breakfast and dinner. What his mother had actually been trying to do was lessen Itachi's training, however, his father would not hear of it, and insisted that she have another child to keep her busy. 'It will keep you off my back,' he used to say, Sasuke was told, 'and off Itachi's, too. Honestly, are you trying to ruin his future, woman?'

And despite all this, Sasuke had never hated his elder brother.

He had tried to do so, at first. He had wanted to despise his brother, to loathe the man that had taken the possibility of both fatherly and motherly affections from him. But he could not. He could not because he loved his brother.

His aniki had always been kind to him, always been there for him, always helped to train him. He had always attempted to protect him from their father's attacks, both verbal and physical. He had taken Sasuke's beating, Sasuke's insults, Sasuke's blame, and had always tried to be the best brother that he could be. Sasuke knew that he had always attempted to protect him, always tried to shield him from the harsh realities of the outside world, and he loved his brother for it. He knew that, at the end of the day, Itachi didn't want their father's attention as much as Sasuke wanted it. And he loved the fact that his aniki believed that, as well.

But there was no time to daydream just now. As mentioned above, Sasuke was in an extremely mood. Why, you ask? Not only was it because

He had failed his first ANBU mission

but also because

His medic had tried to molest him. He vaguely suspected that she was a member of his fanclub. She had the same whiny, violin-being-played-by-a-complete-amateur-who-really-had-no-talent-for-it voice.

He had managed to get a new medic with great difficulty. The hospital deputy director's secretary had angrily snapped at him (well, really Naruto. He couldn't even stand on his feet, much less walk down several floors on them) that most of the medics were in Suna, and that they could not afford to keep on reassigning him a new one. Even Sasuke's name and clan title hadn't worked at all – the deputy director's secretary was male, and his wife had apparently left him to join Sasuke's fanclub, so he wasn't exactly jumping from his seat to help Sasuke. Sasuke shuddered at the idea of the secretary's wife being his fangirl, or, more accurately, fangrandmother since the secretary was actually 75 years old. The secretary had only sent agreed to send another medic after Sasuke had requested Sakura to down there and threaten the wife-losing secretary.

His new medic was a female one.

Naruto was screaming in his right ear about how cute Sakura-chan looked in her new dress.

His new medic was supposed to be arriving in about 15 minutes. He was sure that she would be another fangirl – either his or his brother's, which equals groping for him or gossiping and prodding about information for his brother.

Could his day get any worse???

He closed his eyes and tried to shut out Naruto's obnoxious, orange voice. Honestly, had the dobe never learnt anything except how to annoy people at the Academy? He tried to concentrate on other senses. Training while in the hospital. His father would be proud if he ever took so much of a glance at Sasuke.

Suddenly, his senses pricked up. A very soft pair of feet were walking towards his door, small, hesitant, and definitely female. He would have thought that it was one of his fangirls if they weren't so soft – fangirls were always loud – hadn't known that Shizune had banned them from coming anywhere near the Uchiha brothers. God bless that woman.

But back to the problem at hand. The feet were slowly but surely approaching his room – most unlike a fangirl's. Naruto was still snorting obnoxiously. And Sasuke knew exactly what was going on outside.

He only opened his eyes when the feet finally stopped at his doorway. The person outside hesitated for a moment before twisting the knob and opening the door to reveal…

"N-Naruto-kun! Wh-what are y-you d-doing h-here?"

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**So? How was it? Good? Bad? Positively shit-worthy? Tell me by reviewing!**

**Also, I won't be able to write another chappie for this story for a while. I have 2 other sasuhina stories, and I have me with bronchitis to care for, and exams to cram for. But anyway, don't foget about me or this story, and be sure to REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	4. Amusement and Remorse

**Fourth, fourth, fourth.**

**Again, this chapter has been revised.**

**A thousand thank-you's to my amazing beta Tomas the Betrayer.**

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

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Chapter 4

Amusement and Remorse

Sakura Haruno was very annoyed. Not to mention disappointed. Or furious, annoyed, betrayed, annoyed, horrified, annoyed, deflated, annoyed, scared, annoyed, determined, and did she mention annoyed?

Hermione was right when she told Ron that no girl had the emotional range of a teaspoon.

The various feelings mentioned above were due to several reasons:

1) Tsunade-sama had summoned her earlier to inform her that she would be taking care of Uchiha while he was in the hospital. Overjoyed, she had flown to be with him, and had practically killed the hospital staff in order to know which room her beloved Sasuke-kun was in.

2) The aforementioned Uchiha was, in fact, not her beloved Sasuke-kun, but his horrible and hideous (okay, maybe that was going too far – she couldn't deny that the elder Uchiha was far from ugly) elder brother, which led to the disappointment, betrayal, deflation, and annoyance.

3) This Uchiha was staring at her as if she was something unpleasant that was stuck to the underside of his shoe, at the same time managing to glare at her. While feeling annoyed, horrified, and scared, she also admired his impressive facial flexibility.

The man really knew how to multitask.

Anyway, coming back to the topic at hand, she shook herself out of her fantasy that involved a certain drunken Hokage with a pair of unusually strong hands around her neck.

"YOU!" she shrieked. "You are NOT Sasuke-kun!"

* * *

Hinata stared in surprise at her patient. She had never expected it to be one of the ice cold Uchiha brothers. With Naruto-kun too. She immediately began to resemble a cherry as her secret crush exclaimed as to how utterly extraordinary it was that she should happen to be here. Oh, Naruto-kun.

Averting her eyes from the sight of the blonde (her supervisor had told her that if she fainted one more time, there would be serious repercussions), she had no choice but to look at the face of the other occupant of the room, the aforementioned Uchiha Sasuke, and was surprised to see him looking oddly… relieved?

That irritation quickly changed as he punched Naruto in the back of the head so hard that Uzumaki flew off his stool to go soaring through the air and crash into a (formerly) sterile hospital-room wall.

"Stop acting so idiotic, dobe. Isn't it obvious? She's my new medic."

Hinata, who had hurried forth to help Naruto-kun, blushed as soon as Sasuke mentioned her. Feeling predictably shy, she stammered answers through Naruto's rapid-fire questions while helping him up into another chair.

"Ah!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed. "I was supposed to meet Iruka-sensei for lunch at Ichiraku's! I'm 3 hours late! Sorry, gotta go. See ya, Hinata-chan, Sasuke-teme!"

And he promptly ran out. Leaving Hinata with the unapproachable Uchiha.

She was going to kill Tsunade-sama.

"Are you really a medic?" came a low voice from behind her.

Startled, she whipped around to see Sasuke staring at her with intense onyx eyes. What else was there to say but…?

"Yes."

He nodded once, almost thoughtfully, then turned his gaze towards the window. Relieved, she dropped into a chair.

"Well?" came a more menacing voice. Her head shot up to see him still staring out of the window, but with a harder expression on his face. "Are you going to sit there forever, or are you going to check on me? I have better things to do than hear your annoying voice."

Her jaw almost dropped, but she hurried up and ran to his side, where she clumsily attempted to take hold of his arm. He roughly wrenched it away. "Don't ever touch me without asking me first, understand?" came a hiss.

She meekly nodded, and he thrust his arm out again, "Hurry up already. I don't have all day."

It would have felt nice to point out that, since he was admitted, he did, in fact, have all day, but she kept quiet and instead fumbled through the procedure. She could feel cold, hard eyes upon her – he had turned his head away from the window – and that made it hard to concentrate.

The experience, while totally familiar to her, somehow became overwhelming with every second that ticked by. She couldn't get through the checkup fast enough. Hinata raced out of the room as soon as the procedure was finished, not stopping in the hallway but actually running 2 floors down via the staircase before she collapsed in a heap and buried her head in her arms.

She was definitely going to kill Tsunade.

Shizune was quite alarmed. She had come back from the etiquette lessons with the young Hyuuga heiress (the clothes, honestly! She had seen the formal dresses later, the ones gifted by her clan, and while they were very lovely, Hinata's personal choice _had _to go, or she was going to be assassinated by the fashion police sooner rather than later) to find her mentor sitting at her desk cackling madly. A quick glance at the cabinet showed that she was not drunk, so what could possibly be the reason for this mad outburst? The last time she had cackled like this was when she had forced Genma to go buy lingerie for her at Victoria's Secret.

The Hokage was a very sadistic person inside.

"Ah, Shizune, there you are! I've been waiting to tell you what happened this morning!"

Shizune began to silently pray for the soul of whatever poor unfortunate had been the target of this fiendish aura.

As she did, her mentor crossed her arms and smugly declared, "I assigned Sakura to the Uchiha!"

And it was now apparent that more than prayers would be needed here. "But, Tsunade-sama, Sasuke will kill you! Or his father will – take your pick. He hates her!" Although Sakura would be delighted…

But Tsunade's further crowing proved that there was more evil done. "You're too quick to jump to conclusions. You failed to notice that I didn't mention which Uchiha."

Oh. Well, that was fine then. Sasuke was safe. It meant that Sakura was assigned to…

"Tsunade-sama! You assigned Sakura-chan to _Itachi?"

* * *

_

Sasuke Uchiha was surprised. And relieved.

Surprised, because there was no way that he would have thought Neji-the-asshole's younger sister was a medic. He didn't have very many memories of her – he had been knocked unconscious before she was beaten by Neji, but he had heard that he had tried to kill her, and that Naruto had sworn on her blood that he would avenge her or something like that. Stupid dobe. Always finding a way to embarrass himself.

Relieved, because she was obviously not one of his fangirls. Last he saw, she was completely head over heels about Naruto. Why, he could not understand. How could someone fall for the dobe? However, if it saved him from the agony of having an obsessed teenager near him, he would gladly accept it.

Before him, the girl stammered and blushed as Naruto blabbered on and on about what a great coincidence it was that they should meet here of all places. Stupid. Seriously, was he channeling Lee's spirit or something? The next thing they knew, he would be running around wearing an eye-watering green jumpsuit, flashing a toothpaste-commercial smile, and worshipping Gai.

And judging by the way she was looking at him, that Hyuuga girl would still be head-over-heels for him. Pah.

The Nine-tailed Nitwit was getting on his nerves now by his sheer inability to reach the conclusion she worked here – the girl was wearing scrubs, for god's sake, how hard could it be to deduce that she was a medic? – so he said, "Stop acting so idiotic, dobe. Isn't it obvious? She's my new medic," while punching him in the back of his head for good measure. The moron flew off his chair and crashed into one of those sickly hospital-room walls.

Even more sickening was the fact that he now had to watch the Hyuuga girl gush over Naruto. Seriously, was he in a hospital or a romance drama? Cut out the mush, people.

He saw the girl carefully lead the object of her adoration into a chair and proceed to fuss over him, while Naruto continued to exclaim about every little thing. 'Hey, it's a chair! Hey, you have two eyes!'

Twit.

Suddenly Uzumaki stood up straight – the girl was no better than him at being alert; she almost fell over – and after saying something about having to meet that idiot Iruka, promptly ran out of the room.

Leaving him with the Hyuuga.

An uncomfortable silence settled over the room. He could hear her taking quiet breaths. It seemed that she was even trying to lessen the sound made when she inhaled. What was she, a mouse in front of a cat?

The silence reached a breaking point. He was sure that if something wasn't said then the pressure would crush him. He turned his head to look at her – she was still standing up, for all the world like she was preparing to scamper into a hole and hide.

"Are you really a medic?" he questioned, at the risk of appearing dumb – the situation was too uncomfortable and it was the first thing that had appeared in his mind. Making a mental note to craft a list of things that he should say during awkward situations, he watched her fumble and turn red, then say in a voice so quiet that he had to strain to hear it, "Yes."

He nodded thoughtfully. Not a mouse after all. More like a deer. In front of a lion or a tiger. She had the same wide, doe eyes. Rather appealing for all their pallor. He hadn't seen eyes like that for a long time. They were full of innocence and naivety, but also exhibiting a mystery and depth that was most unusual…

Sasuke was abruptly furious with himself. What was he doing, musing over a girl's eyes, a Hyuuga no less? It was her fault, he decided, looking at him like that. She had to leave, and fast. Then this discomfort would go away.

So he snapped at her to hurry up with her job, watched calmly as she fumbled and tripped, even made smarting comments. He watched her as she practically ran out the door, then reclined back into his pillow and closed his eyes.

Sleep would not come. For some reason, he felt like an arse.

* * *

Itachi Uchiha was perplexed.

No, that was the wrong word. He was surprised, that was all. He hadn't expected the girl to so vociferously declare that he was not Sasuke. After all, that was kind of obvious.

She seemed slightly familiar. He abruptly recognized her from the team of Chuunins that he had just commanded in that disastrous mission – Haruko or something. She had opened the door, stared at him for a full 4 minutes and 27 seconds (he had counted), gaped like a goldfish for another 52 seconds, and then shrieked that he was not Sasuke.

He was surprised that the Hokage had sent such a slow person to take care of him. After all, what else could it mean when they took that long to realise that he was not his brother?

The girl stomped furiously around the room, muttering something that sounded vaguely like 'murder', 'stupid', 'how could she', etc. etc. He discerned from the information that she was about to murder someone, probably a woman, either figuratively or literally. He didn't care – it didn't concern him in any way.

The village hero watched with a mild fascination as she continued to resemble a cross between a flamingo and a rhinoceros. He had been very bored all day – Shisui had been assigned on a mission while he was on his own, Sasuke was himself bedridden (the thought brought a small guilty feeling in his chest), and Anko and Kotetsu were still in Suna. The only person to visit him was his father, who had first seemed disappointed about the status of his mission, then accepted it and started ranting at Itachi to get out of the hospital soon so that he could train, and finally started wondering if people would be able to overlook this one blot under all of Itachi's other achievements, which of course led to a lengthy discourse about the merits of his darling offspring.

Yes, Itachi was bored. Maybe this flamingo-rhinoceros combo would bring at least some form of comic entertainment.

The furious female let out a squawk which resembled that of a toucan.

Change 'maybe' to 'definitely'. 


	5. Of boredom, defeat and glorious eyes

**Quintus is up!**

**I hope you like this chapter. Its my longest chapter yet.**

**Of course, its been revised. Again, a thousand thanks to my AMAZING beta, Tomas The Betrayer.**

**Oh, and, please review. Pretty please. With a cherry on top.**

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

* * *

Chapter 5

Of Boredom, Defeat, and Glorious Eyes

Life was boring.

At first Itachi had thought that the new medic would help alleviate his doldrums, but it turned out to be otherwise. Apparently she was a fangirl of his brother and furious at being stuck with him instead. There was only so much ranting that you could take. Needless to say, he was glad to hear that he would be going back home. Finally, some solace from the vociferous foaming-mouthed girl.

But home didn't prove to be the sanctuary he imagined it would be. There was nothing but training and more training, oh, and did he mention training? His father, hugely embarrassed at his son's failure, was pressuring him to work so hard that he barely had time to sleep or eat. On top of that, no one was allowed to meet him, not even Shisui. Sasuke was still in the hospital, but he had been unable to pay him a visit, on account of his father having expressly forbidden it.

This fact frustrated him. Not only for his own sake, but because Fugaku had obviously deemed it a waste of time to visit his younger son. "What is the point?" he had said when Itachi questioned him as to whether he had done so or not. "That boy will never distinguish himself anyway. He is completely useless. Forget about him and concentrate on your training – I do not want a repeat of last time!"

Itachi had wanted so badly to reply that Sasuke was his son as well, didn't he have some compassion for his own offspring, who just so happened to be lying badly injured in a hospital? Was there no feeling in his heart for him?

But he didn't.

However, this didn't stop him from feeling resentment, and this soon led to irritation. And so, after weeks of being stuck in a house where servants bowed humbly and stared at you like you were a hero, with a father whose careless behaviour with his younger son and adamant attitude towards his elder caused the mere sight of him to be a nuisance, Itachi was very glad to hear that he had been summoned before the Council.

The Council of Elders was the supreme body of the Uchiha, and its leader the unquestioned head of the clan. Owing to a certain act of might and justice by an ancient and revered ancestor of his, the head of the council was always from Itachi's own direct family. Currently this was, of course, his own father, and he himself, being the elder son, was expected to succeed him when either Fugaku passed away, or when he declared that he was stepping down from his post.

The Council itself was made up of the wisest men and women present in the Uchiha clan. This too was a slightly hereditary position, but not an exclusive one, for the head had the power to admit and dismiss whomever he wished. It supervised many of the daily functions and trades of the clan, including the police force of Konoha, and also upheld the clan laws. The word of the Council was final, and anyone who defied it was severely punished, often either exiled (after being blinded, of course – the Uchiha eyes were too precious to let wander around) or put to death. With shinobi, however, the case was slightly different – the Council either asked for permission from the Hokage to administer 'justice', or gave the offender up to be served his penalties by the Hokage herself.

The Council met every week, sometimes more often than that when called for, and no one was allowed into its meetings without special dispensation, or when they had been summoned. Needless to say, this piqued his interest– the main reasons for being summoned before the Council were if you had committed some misdeed, or if you were a witness. And since he was neither, it should prove interesting to learn why he was called upon.

Itachi stepped through the dimly lit doorway of the room and silently crossed the expanse of flat space until he was standing in the exact centre. All around him, black eyes stared from the uplifted, tiered seats that had been specially installed to let all those present gaze down upon the intruder. The very building itself was dome-shaped; an anomaly in the Uchiha district, and especially so, made that way in order to stand out.

The grim-eyed youth bowed his head – it was a measure of supplication, or a sign that he was still under the Elder's will. The eerie silence continued for a while, and then a voice spoke, as hard and old as a rusted nail. "It seems as though your son has not yet forgotten his manners, Fugaku."

Immediately, light flooded the room, not enough to blind, but sufficient to cast illumination upon the visages of everyone present. He found himself surrounded by elderly people who were smiling at him, their prodigy. His tense posture relaxed undiscernibly – he was not here for punishment, at least.

"It is well that he has not," a low voice, unmistakably female, intoned. He recognized it as belonging to Uchiha Sumire, a lady old and wizened in appearance, but a lion at heart. "Rise, son," she continued, and as he followed her instructions he looked up to see her smiling kindly at him. "It is imperative that he is a polite young man."

"Absolutely true!" exclaimed Uchiha Tensei, Shisui's grandfather. "His very nature to obey makes it clear that today's topic of discussion will go without a hassle."

"Do you know why you are here, Itachi?" a voice brusquely cut in, that of his father.

'Why, don't you?' Itachi fervently wished to reply in this manner, having been asked that same stupid, high-handed and pointless question practically every time he was forced to attend these meetings.

But it simply was not done. Instead, bowing his head ever so slightly, he said, "No, Father."

"Some time ago, eleven years to be precise, a contract was drawn between two of the most powerful clans in Konoha, supervised by the Third Hokage himself. It was an arrangement which was not to be taken lightly, since it included a never-before-attempted experiment, a combining of the two strongest kekkai genkai ever seen. The Third's pupil, especially, was very enthusiastic about it, and worked endlessly to bridge the differences in thought that occurred among our own clan and the other participant, the Hyuuga."

His eyebrows almost rose up, _almost _being the keyword. An agreement between the Hyuuga and the Uchiha? He had not been aware that one existed, for the two clans bitterly hated each other and aimed to outdo one another on each and every occasion. The reasons for this were numerous – not only were both afraid of the political and monetary changes that would come about if one triumphed over the other, but the Uchiha also severely condemned the 'division of status' in the Hyuuga clan. The system of the 'Main House' and 'Branch House' was highly discriminatory, and one of the most oft-cited points of contention. Needless to say, the possibilities of there actually existing an agreement between the two clans, moreover supervised by the great Third himself and supported by his pupil – from the timeline he could tell it was either Jiraiya-sama or Tsunade-sama – was unexpected, to say the least. Moreover, to find that it affected him was slightly unsettling.

Curious now, Itachi masked his features and continued to listen closely to the monologue.

"You yourself are directly concerned with this matter. The statement which was finally agreed upon is such: '_Under the supervision of the __renowned__ Third Hokage, Sarutobi-sama, this document has been brought to life. It details the union of the Hyuuga and Uchiha clans, with the hope of discovering a kekkai genkai which utilises the power of both the Hyuuga Byakugan and the Uchiha Sharingan. This document, which is a culmination of the wishes of both the Hyuuga and the Uchiha clan heads, Hyuuga Hiashi and Uchiha Fugaku, states that for the above to happen, a marriage of convenience must take place between Uchiha Itachi, heir to the Uchiha clan, and Hyuuga Hanabi, the younger daughter of the leader of the Hyuuga clan. The council chooses these two individuals because, if an heir with a merge of the Sharingan and the Byakugan is born, then he will lead the Uchiha clan after Uchiha Itachi. If such an heir fails to make an appearance, and one with only the powers of the Sharingan is born, he will also lead the Uchiha after Uchiha Itachi. However, if an heir only with the power of the Byakugan is born, then the leadership will be stripped of Uchiha Itachi and will pass onto his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke. This marriage of convenience will take place immediately after the coming of age of both the individuals concerned. Signed, Kazuhiko Sarutobi.'_

To say that this was a stunning revelation would not be adequate. There were no appropriate words for what Itachi was feeling. Married? At twenty-one? How could his father, of all people, even consent to this? Fugaku was the one who insisted that he himself should ignore everyone – Sasuke, Shisui, and so many others – and simply focus on his goal! To declare that he take a wife? Did he not know how big a responsibility a wife was? How much time you had to devote to her, how you had to treat her kindly?

On the other hand, maybe he didn't, considering his treatment of his own wife. Itachi could remember all the pain and suffering his mother had to go through, and very early on, he had decided that if he ever did marry, he would treat his own spouse much better than that. To do so at this point of life, where he was being constantly expected to excel, would be a complete turn-around from his former vows. He couldn't allow that to happen, especially when –

"The words of the document, sealed and signed by the Third himself, were to be followed implicitly," came a growling voice from above, which he found to be Tensei. "But what do you expect of those Hyuuga? Always wriggling out of every situation, even if it's not needed, showing contempt to holy deeds. Now, after eleven years, they have decided that they want to change the terms of this document."

"They want to change the girl," Sumire supplied, probably noticing the almost-confused look on his face. After having being one of Itachi's mentors for nearly 15 years now, she was apt to notice the slightest mood shifts, even if they were not expressed on the surface. "They think that the one mentioned in the document, Hyuuga Hanabi, has a prosperous future before her, and they do not wish to deter her. Anyone who marries you, of course, will not be allowed to continue their ninja career."

He understood _that_. It would be heinous if the leader's wife was going on missions – not only was it a matter of safety, but it was also a slur on the name of the clan. There was no way that his future wife could be allowed to continue her active service as a shinobi of Konoha.

"They have decided to substitute her," Sumire continued, "with a girl from their so-called 'Main House', not knowing that it does not matter to us which house she is from. Although it would seem a slur if they sent a girl from a house that they consider 'inferior' to marry the most important person in our clan." She smiled fondly. "Anyway, not to tease you any further, I will reveal the identity of your future bride. The Main House, as you know, is very small, and girls there are precious few. Since Hyuuga Hanabi was outlawed, they had to choose another one. The girl that they are talking about is supposedly 'useless, unable to uphold the honour of the clan, and good for nothing except for this', in direct quotes. Kind of harsh, I would think, considering that they are talking about their own heiress."

He almost, but not quite, caught his breath. The heiress? But if he married the heiress, and his descendants were supposed to lead his clan, then how would the Hyuuga succession line continue?

The old woman gave him what truly seemed to be a coquettish smile then. "The girl you will marry is Hyuuga Hinata."

As Itachi digested this information, his father took up the remainder of the discussion. "In her place, the aforementioned Hyuuga Hanabi will take up the role as heir. Hinata, the elder sister, will come here. A fortunate development, I think, because she is only 4 years younger than you, whereas Hanabi is 10 years so. However, in further defiance against the words of our agreement, the Hyuuga have decided to delay the marriage by one year on purely personal grounds. During that time, you are expected to treat Hyuuga Hinata as your very highly esteemed fiancée."

Fugaku crossed his arms and looked down his nose at his son. "The official ceremony will take place after a week. Tensei's grandson, Shisui, will be helping you to make the adequate preparations. That is all. You may leave."

Silently, Itachi stood up, bowed his head, and then strode out of the room. No thought was given as to how this peremptory departure might be taken as an insult. After all, he did have a lot to contemplate.

Oh well. At the very least, he would still have Shisui to help prepare him for this ordeal.

* * *

Hinata was disturbed.

Although not an emotion commonly identified with her,and rightly so, for the past few weeks it had become almost omnipresent. The behaviour of Uchiha-san was scary, to say the least, and the very thought that she had to go and visit him twice a day made her shrink back in fear.

She had been positively ecstatic to know that he would be dismissed after the next day. The guy had been getting progressively ruder as time went on, and would often sneer at her and make hurtful comments when she was doing his check-up. It had gotten so bad that she had contemplated going to Tsunade-sama and requesting she reassign her to some other, preferably more placid, patient. However, out of sheer determination, she had not – the very purpose of her life now was that to show that she was not weak, and to give up at this stage would be nothing but a sign of weakness.

Another reason was the fact that the date for Hanabi's official christening was set. Her own day of christening she could not even remember, since it was done when she was barely two weeks old, by the rightful title of firstborn. However, her father, true to his word, had officially announced that Hanabi would be christened as heir two weeks later.

So Hinata persevered.

Even more perturbing was the fact that she had not yet managed to find a trainer for herself. She had briefly contemplated asking Naruto, but her courage had failed at the last moment, and she had slunk away like a kicked dog. Her teammates were also out of the question. Both Kiba and Shino's method of fighting contained a lot of cooperation with their family attributes; namely, dogs and bugs. And while she got along well enough with both, it was not sufficient to the point of utilising them during fighting. She had also considered asking Kurenai, but then realised that her devoted teacher was in Suna, helping out with the reconstruction and defence of the city.

Everyone else whom she was on friendly terms with also had some problem – Ino utilised her kekkai genkai of mind control, Shikamaru of shadow control, and Chouji of body expansion. While Sakura did not have a kekkai genkai, she was accustomed to fighting using pure brute strength enhanced with chakra, and apart from the fact that Tsunade-sama had already told Hinata that such a style was not right for her, she had to consider the fact that, apart from super-human cases like Tsunade-sama and Sakura, brute strength always failed in front of the Hyuuga clan's Gentle Fist technique.

That actually led her back to her own native training grounds. One of the strongest candidates that could be of help was Neji-nii-san, for not only was he accustomed to the Gentle Fist, he was also a genius at it. She had even worked up the courage to ask him, and he had looked at her in a sort of pitying way, then agreed. However, the next day, her father had summoned both of them and expressly forbidden him from being her trainer. Hence, a month had already passed, and she had still not managed to recruit anyone to her cause.

And to put the cherry on top, she was again being called before the Elders. Thankfully, this time, she was at least appropriately attired in a gorgeous kimono with a leaves-in-autumn pattern chosen by, of all people, Jiraiya-sama himself. The old man, despite being a notorious pervert, had a very good eye when it came to formal dress wear such as kimono and informal such as yukata.

So, more confidently this time (but not by much) Hinata glided gracefully down the long corridor towards the Elders' room, artfully acknowledging servants who bowed to her. For the past few weeks, a great deal of people had stopped to stare as she passed and furiously whisper among themselves, courtesy of her father's announcement. It was highly disconcerting, to say the least.

She gently knocked on the door, and then slid it open to reveal the Council sitting within. As quietly as possible, the timid maiden stepped inside, closed the door, and made her way directly in front of her father.

The Hyuuga Elders were a group of wise counselors, all from the Main House, who supervised and controlled the dealings of the clan. They were lead by the heir and leader, currently her father. Their main function was to advise the clan head on the important matters concerning the family, and attempt to make his job as easy as possible. Hinata had formerly been expected to succeed Hiashi in this post, and had cringed at the thought of being at the mercy of these vicious, power-hungry old codgers. Now, however, the responsibility of dealing with them – a delicate and dangerous game – had been handed over to Hanabi.

She could not believe she was trying her hardest to earn it back. What a complete turn-around.

The Elders scrutinised her as she sat on the tatami mats in front of the raised platform where they reclined. Keeping her eyes lowered, Hinata knelt in a bow, and then slowly sat up.

To one side, Hyuuga Kiyoko was obviously overjoyed that Hanabi was going to replace Hinata as heir, utterly convinced that she could not beat her younger sister. "Do you know what you are here for, girl?" her crackling voice came, almost jubilantly.

'Yes. Can I go now?' It was hard not to make that comeback. She really hated that question. How was she supposed to know why she was here when she had come to be told why she was here? Hinata had heard some variation of that tedious query on every occasion of being in this chamber, and she was starting to wonder if it was a ritual tradition of some sort.

"No, Kiyoko-sama," she demurred.

"Stop it, Kiyoko," said Hyuuga Fuu. The old man was the only one who had ever been kind to her. He was actually her great-uncle, being her mother's uncle, but she had grown up looking at Fuu-sama as a grandfather since her real maternal grandparent had died very early. "Can't you see that you are making the poor child uncomfortable?"

"What right does she have to be comfortable?" spat back Kiyoko, beady eyes narrowing. "It is not like –"

"ENOUGH!" a voice thundered. The entire hall quickly grew silent. An angry Hyuuga Hiashi was a sight they never wished to see again. However, their fear was unwarranted, for his wrath today was directed towards his elder daughter.

"The reason you are here is because we have an announcement to make concerning you. As you know, a month has already passed since I informed you of the decision of the Council to substitute Hanabi for you. Preparations for Hanabi's christening have also already been sent out. Leaders from as far as Suna will be attending, despite the recent attack. This shows the prestige of the Hyuuga clan."

Hiashi drew himself up in an imperious manner and spoke as though he were declaring war. "With the state of matters as such, we cannot delay any further. Your inability to find a trainer has been duly noted. Stop!" he said, raising his hand when Hinata opened her mouth to speak. "I do not want to waste my time on your flimsy excuses. We are busy enough as it is. It does not matter to us if you manage to find a trainer or not. You will still fight with Hanabi at the end of the year, and whoever wins will be the heir. That was our agreement, and it will stand. I have no more to say on that matter. The reason why we are gathered today is for a completely different matter."

He paused for a while, then continued. "As you know, your engagement to Uchiha Itachi cannot be kept in the dark forever. It would arouse comment if we did so. Hence, we have decided to hold a formal engagement ceremony at the end of the week. Shizune-san and Jiraiya-san will be helping you to make all the necessary arrangements. All kimono in the house are at your disposal, for you do not have time to order a new one. I trust you will not do anything to sully the reputation of our clan. That is all. You may go."

Numbly, Hinata took her leave, walking like a zombie down the corridor towards her room, ignoring the many people who greeted her and stared after her listless form in confusion, for it was not the custom of the (ex) Hyuuga heiress to ignore those who wished her well. Ignorant of their concern, she walked to her room, not caring who she bumped into, or even bothering to apologize. After all, what was the need?

She was going to be betrothed to Uchiha Itachi. It was final.

* * *

Confusion was an emotion that was seldom found in Sasuke Uchiha. He was always confident, purposeful, with a goal in mind. But not today. Today he was completely and truly at a loss.

The reason for his current state had still not appeared, despite the fact that it was a whole _1 minute and 30 seconds _after she was supposed to arrive.

It was not that he _wanted_ see her or anything. There was no reason to do so, was there? So why should he? He didn't want to see her bite her lip ever so gently as she checked over him, a small crease between her eyebrows. He didn't want to see her eyes, soft and full of compassion, and yet alive with suppressed fire which was contained within that small, frail body that probably couldn't even fight properly. No, he was simply wondering as to what had delayed the ever-punctual Hyuuga.

He was _not _fascinated.

Not at all.

Sasuke had always been terrible at lying to himself.

Anyway, his concern – _it was not concern! Why should he be concerned? _– for his medic's wellbeing and unusual tardiness was not entirely unfounded. She had come in the morning, with her well-worn bottom lip and shy stuttering, those glorious (_glorious? Since when did he start using words such as glorious?) _eyes slightly pensive.

And now she was late.

He _wanted_ to _know_.

The door suddenly opened. Startled, he whipped the kunai he kept hidden under his pillow towards it. He had been so preoccupied with thoughts of his medic that he had failed to notice the soft footsteps that were approaching his door.

The kunai was stopped an inch away from the face of said medic, caught between her fingers. Startled, she let out a dismayed, "Eh?" before realising the implications and letting out a much louder, "EH?"

Sasuke relaxed. Looking at the panic-stricken face of the person he was so eagerly awaiting –_ he wasn't awaiting her! Why would he be awaiting her? _– he felt slightly guilty.

"Sorry. Reflex action," he stated, and then immediately rebuked himself. Why should he be feeling guilty for scaring a Hyuuga? Still, it was a good catch, he had to admit.

The girl stared at him like he was mad, then seemed to recover herself. She stepped forward and quietly made her way towards him. The way she looked at him left Sasuke somewhat apprehensive, and in no way more inclined to further explain or apologize for anything. Instead he held out his arm towards her and opened his mouth, and she placed the thermometer inside it.

Something was wrong. He could see it in the defeated way she held herself. Those beautiful eyes, filled with far too much emotion for their own good, were glazed over, scared.

They had given up.

He didn't want to see them defeated.

Sasuke watched her carefully as she redid his bandages – just a formality now, his wounds were completely healed – and was disturbed to see that no emotion whatsoever crossed her face.

The door suddenly opened, and both of them turned to see Shizune standing outside.

"Oh!" she said, obviously surprised. "I didn't know that you were in charge of his upkeep now, Hinata-chan." Her eyes flickered back and forth between the two of them. "I just needed to give the patient a final once-over before he gets released, you know?"

"Of c-course, Shizune-san."

She stepped back, and the shinobi lady came forward smiling to take over his tending, all the while asking him silly questions such as, "Does this hurt?", "Does it hurt if I do _this__?_", and "Are you in any sort of pain?"

Finally satisfied, she stood up, scribbled something on her clipboard and walked towards the door. "The patient is fine now. He may be released tomorrow morning. Just administer the last dose of the medicine, okay?"

Nodding, Hinata watched as she walked out of the room, but suddenly Shizune turned back and said, "Oh, by the way, Hinata-chan, I know that it is none of my business, but have you found a trainer yet?"

"N-not yet, Shizune-san," the girl mumbled, averting her eyes while turning back towards her patient. She picked up the bottle of medicine, and Shizune, her face suddenly concerned, closed the door behind her.

Hinata came close and administered his injection, then cleared the area with sanitizer, disposed of the needle, and made her way out. Just as she reached the door, however, it was swung open yet again by someone outside.

"Oh! I didn't expect to see you here, Hyuuga-sama."

Shisui's black eyes curiously flickered between the two of them before he stepped out of the way and allowed Hinata to pass him. He watched the diminutive girl depart, then closed the door and sauntered to the bedside to take a seat on the stool there.

"So," he said. "I heard you're getting released tomorrow?"

"Yes," answered Sasuke. Shisui had always been with them, noticed or not. He was forever by Itachi's side, and had supported him and cared for both brothers as a loyal family retainer.

"Good for you, kiddo, especially with what's brewing in the clan now. Well, at least you'll be able to attend the ceremony. I was worried I was going to be bored to death! But fancy, I surely didn't expect to see _her _in here."

"She's my medic," he said, curiosity gnawing at him to find out which ceremony Shisui was talking about. Before he could do so, the older man let out a great guffaw of laughter.

"Well, fancy that! Your sister-in-law-to-be is your medic!"

SHOCK!

"Excuse me?"

Shisui's laughter abruptly stopped and he leaned forward, his narrow eyes suddenly widening. "Good God! Nobody told you, did they?" Seeing him shaking his head, he sighed. "Why am I surprised? This was completely expected. It's exactly what they would do. Marry the elder brother off and not even inform the younger one."

"Itachi hasn't been by to visit either," replied Sasuke sulkily, now highly affronted_. _What on_ earth_ was going on?

A friendly grin adorned that boyish face. "He wasn't allowed to, kiddo. Your father's got him locked up in that mansion of yours, probably training day and night. Even I wasn't permitted to meet him. Anyway, should probably tell ya now. That lil' medic of yours is engaged to Itachi, see. The ceremony I was talking about? It's their official engagement, which is takin' place later this week. Would've told you earlier, 'cept I didn' know that _you_ didn' know. Don't blame Itachi – he's just as surprised as you are."

As he digested this information, the second-born son of the Uchiha felt something more defined than confusion.

Sasuke was fucked.

* * *

Hanabi was hiding.

She didn't want this, never wanted this, so why was onee-san not listening, not doing anything to protest? Why on earth was she allowing this to happen? She was the one who was supposed to be the heir, not Hanabi, so why was she sitting back calmly and allowing this to occur, why wasn't she saying anything to stop it?

How could onee-san not save her imouto from this harsh sentence? Didn't she love her anymore? Was she really such a horrible child that nobody loved her?

Her father didn't for sure. He pretended to, but she could see that it wasn't love that motivated him. It was greed and pride. Two of the seven deadly sins. He was guilty of all of them. Every single one. He wanted a strong heir so that people would praise him for training his daughter so well. Nothing else.

The elders, all those people in the hall, they didn't love her either. They just saw a rising star, and, as is human nature, they flocked to it, petted and coddled it, hoping to receive returns some day. Nothing but money-mongers.

Even Neji-nii-san, who loved Hinata so much, did not care. How could he, after she had tortured him using the Caged Bird Seal like that? He would never know that she had only done it because her father had forced her, that she was fighting tears the whole time, that the sound of his agonised screams had kept her awake at night for years afterwards, and still did.

Hanabi had thought that onee-san loved her, but she had been wrong. Onee-san did not love her, or she wouldn't be letting her fall into this predicament. No reason to believe she would, after Hanabi had snatched away the only person who had loved onee-san. Onee-san probably hated her.

And so, the miserable child curled herself in a ball, putting her fist in her mouth like an infant, and, smeared in filth, cried for everything that she had lost, and for the love that she had always desired and would never receive. 


	6. Traditions, Promises, and Realisations

**The revised version of the sixth chapter.**

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

**Review! :)**

* * *

Chapter 6

Traditions, Promises, and Realisations

Hinata stared at herself in the mirror. Behind her, handmaids worked frantically, pinning and tucking in her elegant kimono. Her hair was pulled up in a traditional manner, fastened with many ornaments and studded with pearls, the symbol of virginity. It was essential according to tradition; for today and the day which succeeded it.

It was here.

**(FLASHBACK – 1 DAY AGO)**

_Hinata rose when she heard someone knocking on the door. "__Come in__," __she said gently, __and was very surprised to see, of all people, Jiraiya __come striding__ in._

_Over the past few weeks, both Jiraiya and Shizune had been training her in the traditional arts befitting the wife of __a__ leader of __the Uchiha__. __As__ the heiress of a prestigious clan, she had never been trained in these mannerisms, for she had been expected to lead the __family__, not support it. Therefore, though elegance, grace and poise were subjects hammered in, there were certain subtle quirks which had to be freshly __instructed__._

_Both__ of the aforementioned trainers had been strictly instructing her in precisely the very things that __a proper__ wife should be aware __of;__ that is, how to please the guests, which kimono to choose for which occasion, the precise way to drink tea at certain ceremonies during different times of the month, how to conduct yourself in front of various members of the clan, etc. Every morning, she was __now __used to waking up and seeing Shizune at her side, ready with a new list of things to learn._

_Today, however, both __her trainers__ were absent, and when she had gone looking for them, she had been told that neither of them would instruct her that morning._

_So, it was quite __natural__ that she was startled to see the white-haired __pervert __inside her room._

"_Relax, Hinata-chan, we're here to help you out for the super-important thing that's gonna take place tomorrow. We gotta make sure that Itachi's eyes fall out of his head when he sees you, don't we?" the __Toad Sage__ said, holding up his hands and grinning in a manner that was seriously disturbing._

"_O-of course," Hinata stammered, distracted by his words __and the prospect they entailed__._

_Her engagement ceremony was tomorrow. Hinata could pretend that she had forgotten it, but what was the point in lying to herself? The ceremony had constantly been on her mind – she could not seem to bring herself to __disregard __it. How was she supposed to, anyway? This __event__ would formally bind her to a man she had not even spoken a word to, ever. Of course, you might as well forget that he was, what, 4 years __her__ elder? __And__ that he was __the __best shinobi in the entire village, the youngest Chuunin, Jounin, and ANBU member ever__. To say nothing of the fact__ that he probably despised her, not only because she was Hyuuga, but __since__ he was __also __being forced to marry her._

_Come to think of it, with that amazing reputation of his, and those killer looks, it would be a wonder if __Itachi __didn't already have a girlfriend. He _did_ have a huge fanbase (she had heard rumours that it was even bigger than Sasuke's, and that was scary) and she _had _seem him around Mitarashi Anko a lot. Anko was pretty, smart, notoriously loose, __had a foul mouth, __and was an excellent shinobi – exactly the kind of girl that guys like him would like. How could _she, _who didn't have a figure to speak of, stuttered on every second word, was a miserable failure as a shinobi, and was as far as one could be from pretty, even compare with Anko?_

_Of course, you might as well forget the fact that she didn't even _want_ to be married to Itachi._

_But no, customs were customs, and treaties were treaties, and no matter how much you hated the other clan, and how much you backbitched __about them, you still had to marry __off__ your eldest daughter to them. Because that was tradition._

_So anyway__, to get back to the main point, the first reason why she wasn't really paying attention to the sage's __proclamation__ was her own __lackluster feelings__._

_The second was the EXTREMELY disturbing way in which he was looking at her._

_The perverted sannin was quite literally __perusing Hinata__ as though she was his __morning meal__. He was staring her up and down, and not only __figuratively__ but also literally salivating. Hinata felt an unpleasant shiver run throughout her body. To be looked at this way, especially by a man, felt like she was being violated. Momentarily, she remembered the fragments of information that she had heard about him –how he had no respect for women, how he snuck into bathhouses to see __ladies__ bathe, how he had once forced a female disciple of his to __disrobe__ in front of an entire room of people._

_She shivered – he would not force her to take off her clothes, would he? Even though he was alone in the room with her, and no one had any idea that he was here, or the fact that she was wearing nothing but her sleeping yukata, which had partially slid down to reveal a creamy shoulder…_

"_Take off your clothes, Hinata-chan," the white haired sannin suddenly said, __a ghastly leer twisting his face in a demonic mask__._

_"EH?"_

_Startled, Hinata stared at him, unable to comprehend what she had just heard. He couldn't be telling her to __strip for him__, right? Surely he knew how inappropriate it would be for her to just…_reveal _herself_…_ in front of a man, especially __one__ who was not her husband. Even her father, or brothers if she had had any, were not allowed this much liberty._

"_Hina-chan, please take off your clothes. Come here, I'll help you do it."_

_He indicated for her to approach. __She was suddenly reminded of some of the books she had read – without her father's permission, of course, he would have never allowed her to read 'such disgusting filth', as he called it – and remembered the times when the victim is being forced into a position just like this as the murderer stalks her. How nobody hears __their tearful__ scream, and how the dead body is eventually dragged into a stream and thrown in. __And__ how the murderer sometimes committed other acts, which had never failed to __leave__ her choking and gasping for breath, __followed by__ emptying her latest meal into a basin._

_Hinata__ scooted back nervously – Jiraiya-sama couldn't be like that. He was a kind man, the hero of the village, who had so __generously __volunteered to help her. And why would he do that to her, anyway? It wasn't like she was smart, or pretty, or even remotely desirable. It wasn't like she was Sakura…_

_The door suddenly slipped open, and a frowning Shizune made her way in. "Honestly, I just told you to bring the girl to me, and you take forever to do it. __Mercy__, couldn't you…" __She stopped, noting the look of absolute horror on the scantily-clad girl's face as the towering male loomed smirking over her. __"__JIRAIYA-SAMA__! What on earth are you trying to do to that poor girl?"_

"_Huh?" he looked back at her questioningly._

"_H-he asked me to s-s-STRIP for him!" Hinata wailed, cowering in her bed._

_Shizune's eyes narrowed, lips pressing together into bloodless medical nin pounced and __forcibly dragged Jiraiya back from the frightened girl as she scrambled backwards thankfully._

_Surprised, __Hinata__ saw Jiraiya, his scary expression now gone, mouth turning up in a pout. "Jeez, Shizune, can't a guy work in peace? I was only trying to figure out which hiyoko would look best on her with her skin tone! I wasn't sure if I had to use the pink one or the blue one – it would all depend on her __coloring__. I was just matching the fabrics with __that__ in mind, 'cause she wouldn't take off her yukata for some reason."_

"_You fool!" shrieked an enraged Shizune, hitting __him__ so hard that he went sailing into the wall__ with all the grace and dignity of a sack of dirty laundry__._

_Hinata gulped – it was bad enough that they had a short-tempered Hokage and Sakura – if the kind-hearted Shizune also turned like that they were doomed._

_"How can you expect her to take off her yukata in front of you?" __the formerly gentle tutor roared as she advanced on her prey who hurriedly sprang upright and began to back away from her._

"_Now, Shizu-chan, let's not get irrational! C'mon, it's Jiraiya here! You know me, I'm the very soul of courtliness when it comes to ladies, if you'll only consider my thoughtful and reasonable explanation you'll see… What are you doing with that kunai? Put that down!"_

_As she watched __the two adults__ bicker while Jiraiya was clutching the rather large bump that had appeared on his head, __Hinata__ felt a very discernible feeling of relief. So he wasn't doing_ that _after__all. She had to get these thoughts out of her head. It was official – cut down on Sebold. The books may be heart-wrenching and tear-sprouting, but it wasn't worth the nightmares and paranoia that came with it._

_**(END FLASHBACK)**_

Hinata smiled discreetly to herself. After much unnecessary bloodshed and subsequent healing, Shizune had finally explained to Hinata that tomorrow her engagement to the heir of the Uchiha would be taking place, and that, under the orders of the Hokage and Hiashi Hyuuga, she and Jiraiya-sama were here to help with the preparations for the ceremony.

Various 'purifying' rituals had followed, evidently meant to make the bride as pure as possible for the prospective groom. The same rituals would be performed again, with many additions, before the wedding. Then an extensive manual on the subject of the proper procedure of an engagement ceremony, written by Shizune herself, was given to Hinata. "You may have attended many engagements before," she had said. "But I assure you that none of them will be on the scale of yours."

That had frightened her. What if she wasn't experienced enough to carry the ceremony off without a hitch? Not only would that offend the Uchiha, but it would also embarrass her father, who was bound to take out his frustration on her later. The Uchiha prince would doubtless be perfection itself in his part.

She was awoken from her reverie by the sound of the door sliding open. Shizune poked her head inside, eyes ringed with dark circles, looking unusually grave. "It is time," she said.

Hinata nodded almost imperceptibly. Here we go.

* * *

Uchiha Itachi almost fidgeted in his expensive traditional kimono and haori. Almost, but not quite. He didn't know who had picked that particular nagajuban, but it was as itchy as hell. To add insult to injury, his haori was ridiculously tight, even for his own slim, muscular fit. Beside him, Shisui was trying hard to hold in his amusement, for he alone saw through his old comrade's uncaring façade to how acutely uncomfortable he was feeling. Itachi personally thought that he looked rather like an overdressed chicken – without the rooster-hair of his brother, of course.

Sasuke had returned almost five days ago, and until yesterday, had been forbidden to see Itachi except during meals when they were being supervised by their father, who did not allow them to speak to each other. Even afterwards, when the younger son had been forcibly sent to his brother to help him with the traditional ceremonies that preceded the day of engagement, they had been unable to exchange any words of significance as they were under the hawk-like watch of Shisui's grandfather.

This was especially disturbing to Itachi, since it was quite obvious that Sasuke wanted to speak with him about something but was hesitating, perhaps because of the constant scrutiny, perhaps because of something else. It felt like he was betraying his brother by not even allowing him the basic privacy to have a conversation between two siblings.

Right now, the younger Uchiha was sitting two rows in front, again as tradition demanded. When the bride entered, he would be the one who would stand and guide her by the hand to where Itachi was would be in front of him, facing him, and the various ceremonies that made up today would begin.

Currently, everyone was waiting for the bride to appear. A messenger had already been dispatched to inform her that the time for the ceremony to begin had arrived. As he waited, Itachi could not help but notice the tense demeanours of his own father and that of the Hyuuga head, especially when compared to the almost maniacal grin of the Hokage. _She_ was obviously in favour of this match. He wondered why she was here – according to tradition, only the bride and groom's family should be allowed inside the engagement, as opposed to the wedding, where anyone who was invited was allowed to come. Then again, Tsunade _was_ the Hokage, so she could probably attend any ceremony she wanted.

Not that the family factor really kept matters like this private. The entire Uchiha clan was identified as his family, and none of them were willing to miss a ceremony as legendary as this. It seemed like the Hyuuga were of a similar mind on this point – he could see their white eyes everywhere, it seemed, surprisingly decked out in bright colours instead of their usual white. Of course, they were forbidden to dress so today – only the bride could deck herself out in that colour, as it was considered purest, and therefore desirable. He himself was wearing a clan-oriented dress, but a red kimono this time, with the black Uchiha fan in the back and a white nagajuban peeping from beneath. The red not only represented strength and masculinity, but also distinguished him from the many male members of his clan who were wearing the black kimono instead.

That didn't make it any more comfortable, though.

A whisper spread through the crowd, and he saw his brother sit up straighter as his eyes scanned the room for his charge. And then, like a perfectly orchestrated dance which only they could have performed, many layers of Hyuuga silently parted to create a path strewn with rose petals which had appeared from God-knows-where.

Then his maiden bride appeared.

She was merely a white ghost with very dark hair and extremely red lips, jewels in the ebony of her hair and a long line of attendants following her. These handmaidens effortlessly melted into the crowd as she took small, delicate steps forward, a nymph in a forest, surrounded by wildflowers in so many different colours.

A dark shape rose in front. He removed his eyes, which were riveted to the pale figure in white, to focus on Sasuke instead, who had risen to escort the bride to her seat. Intimidating in a navy kimono, which Itachi suspected was just as uncomfortable as his own, the young man stepped forward and took in his large grip the small pale, hand of the vision in white. His face was carefully composed, a blank mask, but Itachi could see a fire burning in their depths, which seemed to intensify when he touched her. It could be dismissed as revulsion for a hereditary enemy. Or something completely unrelated, like anger towards their father for his even colder treatment of late.

And yet…

When he clutched her fingers, causing the owner of the hand to glance up at him shyly before she looked away again, Sasuke's gaze hardened, just a little, and his posture stiffened almost imperceptibly.

A cold wind seemed to engulf Itachi. This premonition, combined with the scene before him, made one thing shockingly clear. This was no unrelated matter. The topic that Sasuke had wanted to talk about was her, that girl who was slowly approaching him, eyes downcast.

He was shaken from his reverie as the bride reached him. Sasuke handed her over to Shisui, who was playing the part of guardian. His best friend took the delicate hand with a grin and a gentle squeeze, which caused the girl to relax her posture ever so slightly.

Sasuke moved behind Itachi, occupying the empty seat almost directly at his back. A twin-seater, it would house both Shisui and Sasuke once they took their positions. On his left sat his father and the father of the bride, whereas on his right sat a very old, very renowned monk who had been summoned to Konoha especially for this occasion.

The fiancé looked at his bride once more, as Shisui delicately sat her on the cushion-mat surrounded by white lilies, roses, and lotuses. Shirayuri, Bara and Renge – an essential part in any engagement, and also in a wedding, although it would be accompanied by more provocative flowers then.

She sat in front of him, and, ignoring all laws of decorum, he stared at her. She was small and delicate, with pale skin further whitened by powder; gentle features, dark hair – he could not figure out whether it was indigo or charcoal - and the infamous Hyuuga eyes. Except that while most of them were trained to hide any form of expression, hers were swimming with emotion.

Despair, fear, reluctance, nervousness. It was all there for anyone to see.

She didn't want this any more than he did.

This realisation struck him with the force of a boulder. He had never considered, never even _imagined _that she might be just as hesitant to go through with this. To him, she was simply another faceless entity, a bothersome burden that he would have to take care of out of respect for his mother's memory. He hadn't even considered that she was human, that she might be having misgivings about marrying him, or the sacrifices she was making – giving up her position as head, being overlooked in favour of her younger sister, and then being abruptly married off. Getting pushed out of her clan was undoubtedly a very traumatic experience. He could read her like a book – she was so open with her emotions, so naïve. Hinata was scared – of this day, of its implications on her life, and of him, of the effect he would create in her small, formerly peaceful but now tumultuous world.

The priest sitting beside him was saying something, making gestures, waving around some incense sticks, but he could not concentrate. For the first time in his life, Itachi Uchiha was utterly engrossed. The objects of this fixation were the two painfully unguarded, stunning eyes of his fiancée.

And as the ceremony continued, he disregarded all that was around him and continued to stare at those enchanting eyes, all the time trying to pass a silent, unspoken message to them, to alleviate the sorrow that they held.

"I promise you that I will protect you."

* * *

Sasuke sat in the front row of the elegant seats that the Hyuuga had provided. He had to admit, they certainly weren't skimpy when it came to things like this – the ceremony was absolutely top class, and as much as he hated to admit it, he had serious reservations as to whether the Uchiha would have been able to pull off a feat of this grandeur.

The silken finery carefully and subtly placed all around him, however, was not enough to distract him from two thoughts that were currently plaguing his mind.

One was, of course, his sister-in-law-to-be. His surprise at hearing that the new addition to his family was to be his wallflower of a medic stood paramount. Of course, the fact that she was Hyuuga was not lost upon him. Shisui wasn't able to explain that particular facet either. He had thought that he would ask his brother when he went home, but to his annoyance, he found that the only time Itachi even appeared before him was during meals, when their father would, of course be present. He knew well enough by now not to question anything in front of Fugaku, for he would get nothing except for a sharp rebuke and possibly a stinging slap.

Even yesterday, when he had thought he would finally be able to corner his brother, he had been frustrated to discover that Shisui's annoying old geezer of a grandfather was following them about everywhere. He even wanted to bathe with them, for god's sake! Did they have another closet Jiraiya that was far too interested in males amongst them?

So there was absolutely no opportunity to ask his brother the question that was gnawing his insides.

The other thought flooding his brain was how unbearable itchy this goddamn nagajuban was.

They had been waiting forever for the blasted bride to appear, and she just wasn't, so why couldn't he take the bloody thing off already?

A soft flurry in the amount of whispers, followed by a sudden hush alerted him, and he promptly straightened himself to look to the front.

Sasuke was momentarily struck speechless.

This… he didn't know what to call her, couldn't find an appropriate term… could not be his former medic. His medic was quiet and unassuming, dressed modestly in the correct hospital staff uniform, with the regulated length of skirt, shirt, everything! This... ethereal being, simply could not be his shy, stuttering medic.

She was beautiful, every part of her bedecked in white, from the flowers in her dark, dark hair, to the powder on her face, except for her lips which were painted the most sinful colour of red imaginable. Her kimono floated ethereally – how could she look so graceful in a kimono while he couldn't even walk properly in the goddamn thing? And the eyes, eyelids brushed white, eyebrows and eyelashes dark, hiding those pale pure oceans. Her feet, small and elegant, gracefully danced their way across the marble white of the floor – she was barefoot, obeying tradition. Those gentle hands were hidden beneath the long sleeves of her kimono.

He couldn't stop staring.

When the time came, Sasuke lurched unevenly to his feet and made his way over to where he was supposed to meet her. She arrived before he did, just by a fraction of a second, but he noticed, because he had suddenly become hyperaware of everything concerning _her._

He squeezed her hand ever so slightly, involuntarily, and she looked up, those gorgeous eyes of hers resting on his face with a shyness that was so characteristic of her, even in this new, graceful, elegant form.

And as he stared at those bottomless pools, filled with such an amazing range of emotion, he came to a realisation that stunned him.

He was taken with his future sister-in-law, Hyuuga Hinata.


	7. Of Unexpected Appearances and Ramen

**I'm thinking of something witty to say at this point...**

**... and I come up with a blank. My brain seems to be running out of its 'humour' section.**

**Oh well. Revised version of the seventh chapter, blah, blah, blah.**

**The engagement scene in the last and this chapter is a figment of my imagination, by the way. So please, I'd prefer it if nobody accuses me of butchering their traditions. **

**Many thanks to my fabulous and long-suffering beta Tomas The Betrayer, who has the patience to read through all of the junk that I come up with.**

**Review! Yes, my siren call is still in use. **

* * *

Chapter 7

Of Unexpected Appearances and Ramen

Annoyance was a subjective term.

For example, at this moment, Shikamaru was feeling slightly annoyed, but not entirely so. So annoyance was not only subjective, but also conditional, depending on how many clauses there were. Almost like a pack of cards, where every card you pulled out depended on the one before it, and where each had a unique value which could either make, break, or remain indifferent to your hand.

At this particular moment, though, Konoha's resident genius could not liken himself to cards, although the conditional annoyance was certainly having its effect. While walking down a dusty street accompanied by the sound of his teammate munching chips and the other one screaming her loud blond head off could definitely not be called a soothing experience, spending time with them had certain advantages. Like how his mother wouldn't complain about Shikamaru not interacting enough with his peers when he went home tonight.

Troublesome woman. He had no idea why his father had married her.

Ino's long blond ponytail swung in front of his face as she happily made her way through the crowded marketplace, completely satisfied at being the center of attention of at least the group of hormonal teenage boys standing over by Ichiraku's. She hummed happily to herself, took out her compact to redo her make-up, and simultaneously managed to wink flirtatiously at her admirers, who promptly swooned at having their beloved Ino-sama actually _wink _at them. Nothing except the Honourable Itachi Uchiha noticing them could compare to this.

At his side, Chouji chomped on his bag of potato chips. He had lately decided to endorse a new brand with his generous patronage– a sticker on the plastic proclaimed "ZERO TRANS-FAT!" in bright purple letters. The chubby Chuunin had tried dieting on Ino's insistence, but managed to escape his personal hell by pointing out how remaining 'healthy' was essential to his ninjutsu. Ino had huffed, but the possibility of being proclaimed the worst team in the former Rookie-Nine was apparently enough to settle the issue. That didn't stop her from forcing him into vigourously exercising, though.

Shikamaru supposed he should feel glad that he had such caring teammates, who took care of each others' problems ("But Chouji, you're never going to get a girlfriend looking like THAT!") and so kindly used up their own time and energy helping their friends achieve the 'perfect goal'.

He didn't.

Which was why spending time with them could be a drag, after a while. Sure, he enjoyed Chouji's company. The other boy was so quiet, exactly like him, which was not really inspired by a general feeling of nothingness, but a desire to stuff as much as possible into his mouth per second. But his endless eating and talks about the various delicacies that were special to every place they visited, even if it was Konoha's marketplace, which they had patronized a thousand times before, could get trying after a while. He admired Ino's chirpy personality, which was more or less true. Being 'not-so-energy-motivated', as he liked to phrase it himself, he appreciated the vast reserves which she seemed to have within her grasp, but her constant chattering and self-obsessed comments would start grating on his ears after a short time.

This was why he was very glad to see Naruto and Sakura sitting in Ichiraku's and enjoying a bowl of ramen.

Ino noticed it at almost the same time that he did, and with a squeal of delight, flew forward and thrust herself into the middle of them with a loud, "What's up, Forehead?"

"INO-PIG! You just upset my ramen, baka!"

"Who cares? That dress was ugly enough with you wearing it."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

"You heard me, LOSER!"

"I'm gonna kill your fat ass!"

"Who're you calling fat, Forehead?"

"What else do you call a pig that's been grown for slaughter? Oh, wait, gruesome!"

"Shut your mouth, bubblegum!"

"Ditz!"

"Floss!"

"SAI-LOVER!"

"Awww, what, you jealous that my boyfriend's actually got some artistic talent, huh? Don't worry, I'm sure a nice, trained garbage-man would marry you!"

"For one thing, he's not your boyfriend. For another, hello, he's an emotionally deprived person. I knew you were low, Ino-pig, but I never thought that you would stoop as low as to take advantage of a guy who doesn't know the difference between smiling and crying!"

"Not true," a dead, inflectionless voice cut in at that point. "In my personal experience, this does not qualify as being taken advantage of."

Five rookies' heads snapped around as the dark-haired artist under discussion rose up unexpectedly from behind Ichiraku's counter, holding his trademark brush and, somehow, wearing the restaurant's serving uniform.

While the rest of them reacted according to their natures – Shikamaru played it cool, Sakura and Ino shrieked like two banshees meeting after ten thousand years, Naruto swore and promptly spewed out his mouthful of ramen, and Chouji, miraculously, against all sensible bets, STOPPED EATING FOR A MOMENT – Sai only smiled, bowed, and said in his trademark monotone, "Good morning. Thank you for choosing to eat at Ichiraku's. We will ensure that you get the best possible service, along with the best ramen."

No one dared to move or respond to that statement. They only stared at their creepily composed compatriot.

Those flat doll eyes flicked over to Sakura, who actually quailed. "Also, as a side note, please do not believe the fat girl with the stringy pink hair standing here. I am perfectly aware of the difference between laughing and crying. Laughing is a psychological reaction induced by seeing a funny event, or by physical contact to areas that are particularly sensitive, but not overly so – for example, the sole of the foot may be considered an area which, when touched, would cause a person to 'laugh', but touching of the region immediately beneath the pelvis is more likely to be enjoyable for both males and females."

The disturbingly blank gaze now turned to rest upon the blond Chuunin choking on ramen. "Of course, this phenomenon does not apply for dickless idiots like Naruto Uzumaki, who is the ridiculous-looking boy in the orange-and-black jumpsuit scarfing down an indecent amount of ramen."

"HEY!"

"Please ignore his untrue protestations to the above fact," Sai continued. "Crying, on the other hand, is the emission of water and salt from ducts in the eyes, often caused by another psychological reaction towards feeling 'bad'. However, in certain conditions, it may also be induced by extreme happiness or physical pain, which the above-mentioned pink-haired girl is overly susceptible to producing."

Sai then beamed at them very convincingly, giving a friendly wave. "That is all. Thank you."

And with that, the black-haired enigma promptly sank back behind the counter.

The five people stood there motionless, all slightly stunned. Finally, Chouji broke the silence. "W-was that _Sai?"_

Sakura took a while to answer. "…I think so."

And then, argument forgotten, all of them promptly sat down on Ichiraku's seats. None dared look behind the counter. It was very quiet for a while.

"So…" Ino began tentatively, putting an arm around him. Shikamaru flinched, but bore it. "Where's Sasuke-kun?"

"I wish I knew," sighed Sakura. "He's been gone since yesterday. Didn't even come for practice today, can you believe it? Said something about a family function…"

* * *

Hiashi had been twelve years old when he had met his future wife for the first time.

She had been eight at the moment. Smiling, she had offered him a daisy. A token of their new friendship, she said.

He had refused, pointing out that the Hyuuga didn't make friends, merely alliances.

Now, as he sat at his eldest daughter's engagement ceremony, he wondered what would have happened if he had accepted that daisy along with her friendship.

Despite what many believed, Hiashi Hyuuga had really loved his wife. True, their union had been an arranged one, made on the basis of Main House privileges and the Elders' choice for the best suitable candidate to hold the position of his wife. But later on in their marriage, he had grown to love her for her kind and gentle nature, her willingness to offer aid, and her inner strength. Thus he could safely declare that Hinata was a product of love between them.

He wished he could say the same for Hanabi, but it was not so. He had been driven by greed then, by the desire to have a boy like his brother Hizashi, a strong son who could carry on the family name, a child to be proud of, unlike shy, timid, useless Hinata.

Well, it was none of his problem now. Hinata could never beat Hanabi in her present state, and he would make sure that she would not get a teacher. Her sensei, Kurenai Yuuhi, was pregnant at this very time, and therefore out of commission for the next year. A most fortuitous occurrence, since she was one person who wouldn't listen to him at all. The others would readily obey his wishes, or otherwise the Hokage would make sure they listened to _her _demands. Surely Tsunade, who was probably the happiest at this union, would not hesitate to make sure nothing came in the way of it.

After a year, Hinata would still be pathetic, would lose to Hanabi, officially forfeit her position as heir, and be pushed off to the hands of the Uchiha, where she would perform the only duty she was good for. He would have hit _four_ birds, instead of the customary two, with one stone. Hinata would be stripped of her power as heir, Hanabi would be rightfully appointed, he would be fulfilling his part of the contract, and, best of all, nobody could even complain that he had chosen unfairly, for there would be a perfectly fair battle between his two daughters, with adequate preparation time. It was a win-win situation.

Hiashi sat back and coolly watched the ceremony with confident eyes.

* * *

White pearls in her hair, a collection of flowers all around her, the very picture of beauty.

Yes, nee-chan looked very beautiful today.

Hanabi hated it.

The white was mocking her, pointing out that she would never have the chance to be as pristine and pure, would sully it if she was the one presented with those garments. She wasn't pure, after all, unlike nee-chan, who was sitting in front of the Uchiha guy, eyes slightly downcast. Her sister's eyes were always averted to the ground, almost as if she was too shy to look up and face the world, too much of a lady to raise those pearls of hers. And what was with the Uchiha, anyway? All of those dark-haired guys were getting on her nerves, and why couldn't he stop staring at nee-chan? Was he a moron or what?

Hanabi was feeling particularly savage today.

Nee-chan had no right to look so pretty and happy when her life was falling apart. Didn't she realize what she was _doing_? Was she really going to marry the Uchiha and let him ruin her life? Was she crazy or what? Didn't she know about her responsibilities as the firstborn? Why had she even agreed to this bogus arrangement? Who had come up with a marriage between the Uchiha and the Hyuuga, anyway? Thetwo clans were mortal enemies. Worse than Kakashi and Maito Gai … although that did seem a little one-sided, come to think of it. But still, whatever happened to the whole I-hate-you-so-much-that-I-will-continue-to-say-your-last-name-like-it's-an-insult routine?

And _what _was the Hokage doing here? And why didn't pretty-boy Neji tell her anything? Didn't he realize that she was NOT A LITTLE KID ANYMORE? She was eleven, for god's sake – at her age, nee-chan had been battling for her life against him. She was a shinobi, and thus qualified to listen to all stuff, even if it was boring, adult, treaty-stuff.

Plus, that was _her _nee-chan they were marrying off here.

And on top of that, the idiotic Uchiha, not the wooden one nee-chan was getting married to, but that other one, his younger brother or something, the one who was always with Naruto, was staring at nee-chan with the oddest expression. If Hanabi had been romantic (and she was not), she would have probably said that he looked like a blind man seeing the sun for the first time. But being wholly without any poetic instinct whatsoever, she merely classified it as a baboon looking like he had just seen his own butt for the first time.

Whatever that meant.

Her so-called father was lording it over the entire room, looking on with coolly imposing eyes at the ceremony like nothing could possibly go wrong while under his unflinching stare. How did he do that, anyway? It made him look so intimidating… she had to learn that, to use it against all those dumb kids who thought they were better than her just because she had killed her mother.

No. She would not think of that today. No sirree. Today was to be solely devoted to sarcastic and witty comments upon everything she could lay her eyes upon. It was NOT to be wasted on pathetic thoughts about herself and certain parents whom she had deprived of life. She had to make a plan. She had to get to nee-chan's side and tell her what a fool she was being…

Oh, look. The first part of the ceremony was already over.

* * *

Hinata gave out a small inaudible sigh as the opening phase of her engagement ritual ended. It was perhaps the most difficult part, although none of the others could be called easy. She had been so afraid that she would trip as she made her grand entrance, or that she would let out some embarrassing sound when she was sitting next to her soon-to-be fiancé, or perhaps even faint under all the attention.

Hinata was very afraid of fainting. Which is why it was with no small amount of pride that she looked upon her perfect entrance and behavior. Even Father wasn't looking disapproving.

The beginning of the ceremony was mostly traditional, entwined with many readings of the same dull old verses from ancient books, and the exchange of promises between the fathers of the bride and groom. The next part would include the exchanging of gifts. It was delicate, but not so much as the grand entrance. That was one of the most difficult parts, especially when you were wearing enough clothes to outfit an army. No ANBU need ever wait for his uniform again.

She sighed inwardly and turned her attention to the priest, who was again droning out some long mumbo-jumbo about something or the other.

I wonder what Naruto-kun is doing?

* * *

Naruto finished eating his 56th bowl of ramen, and then signaled for another pile. The nervous attendant standing behind the counter immediately scurried away. Uzumaki-san had emergency privileges in the shop.

His pleasant licking of previously finished ramen-bowls was interrupted by a vigorous "ACHOO!" that shook the walls and prompted nearby customers to change their seats. The ramen-lover burped and then relaxed against the counter, uncaring of the empty stools around him. The others had left long ago, saying something about 'hospital', 'shopping', 'eating chips', and 'watching the clouds' respectively.

His order came. Excited, he picked up a pair of chopsticks, preparing to dig into his food. An errant thought stopped him momentarily.

"I wonder who was thinking of me… Gotta be Sakura-chan, dattebayo!"

And so cheered, the blond fool promptly started on his 57th bowl of Ichiraku's Special Fish-Egg Ramen! 


	8. Of Faintings and Creating Heirs

**So.**

**The eighth chapter.**

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

**Which means that I own Naruto - in my dreams.**

* * *

Chapter 8

Of Fainting and Creating Heirs

Hinata sighed.

The past week had been nothing but stress. After the ceremony, she had been continually visited by people who were eager to meet the next Uchiha bride, not to mention the countless formalities she had to go through. Some of the rituals, such as feeding the bridegroom-to-be's paternal grandfather's uncle's son's nephew's mother's niece's father's grandmother five hundred and one plates of rice, were just plain silly.

Not to mention the old woman's mouth had stunk like HELL.

Rotten teeth aside, she had also faced the problem of explaining to two furious teammates and a dog why she was suddenly engaged to Uchiha Itachi, and how the matter had suddenly, inexplicably, and very conveniently slipped her mind before.

If Kiba and Shino got any idea that the two families were forcing her into this, they would happily take it upon themselves to ensure that Uchiha Itachi would never be able to father a child. And they wouldn't be the only ones, either. There was a _long _line waiting behind them, containing the likes of Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Naruto, Kurenai, Tenten, Lee, and…well, it was a VERY long line.

The future didn't look so bright suddenly.

Not to mention the cherry on top – she had, with not even a moment's notice, again been summoned by her father and possibly his miserable excuse for a council.

Several shockingly vulgar phrases went through her mind upon hearing this. Hanging around rough hospital shinobi was taking a toll on Hinata's inside manners. The outside was still perfect though.

As she walked through the pristine white corridors of the Hyuuga Compound, the anxious teen wondered what could be the potential reason for having to drag herself before them this time. Surely she had made no mistake in the ceremony – many had praised her later for displaying perfect grace and poise – and her work at the hospital had been going quite smoothly too. Even the stuttering had occurred very little recently, preventing her from behaving in an embarrassing fashion – at least in front of members of her own family. Hinata couldn't think for the life of her what the problem might be.

But of course there was a problem. There _always_ was.

She slid open the door to her father's study and stepped inside, kneeling obediently as she did so. Immediately, the difference stood out like white against black. Instead of the full council convening in a dark room, this gathering was only attended by her father and a couple of the kinder women. The room was airy and well lit, and its three occupants seemed relaxed, enjoying themselves with some green tea sitting around her father's huge mahogany table and swapping memories from long ago.

All three of them turned to see her when she entered. The eldest, Hyuuga Hiroko, who had been Hiashi's nurse when he was a baby, stood up with wide, welcoming arms. "Well, if it isn't the princess herself! Come join us, my dear."

Hinata timidly tiptoed forward and bowed down to the ground, touching her head to the floor. The other woman, Hyuuga Natsu, laughed, patting her head. "What a formal little girl you have, Hiashi! So polite! Sit up, my dear – won't you have some wabishi?"

Completely surprised, Hinata looked up to see the two women smiling at her. Hiashi's face was as impassive as always, but even he couldn't look scary when there were two laughing cherubs of old ladies dangling from his arms.

They exchanged pleasantries. Natsu and Hiroko asked her what she was doing with her time these days. When she replied, blushing, that she was extremely preoccupied with receiving calls, they exchanged knowing glances. "Are you coping with it, dear?" asked Natsu in a kindly voice. "Don't be discouraged. During my own wedding, I received so many old aunts complaining about my facial features that I nearly ran out of the wedding! I had a very bad complexion, you see. I was afraid my husband would abandon me on my wedding night!"

Hiroko laughed. "I remember that day. You looked as scared as a newborn colt, Natsu. Although the amount of attention you will receive will far exceed that, dear," she continued, turning to Hinata. "A marriage between two clans as great as ours will certainly receive a lot of publicity. You will find yourself beset by dozens of people curious to see who from their family is to be the chosen one. And after the marriage! Good heavens, the Uchiha will not let you sleep, so eager will they be to see their beloved son's wife."

"Speaking of the Uchiha, don't you think it wold be wise to inform Hinata of the reason she was called here, Hiroko-hime?" asked Hiashi. Though looking as cold as ever, the presence of the warm-hearted grannies appeared to have relaxed him slightly, so that he looked rather like an indifferent spectator instead of a razor-sharp man. "Hinata," he continued. "We were very pleased by your performance in the engagement. You have shown utmost poise and grace, and have not shamed the Hyuuga in front of the Uchiha."

Hinata blushed with surprise. This was the first time her father had complimented her in her whole life.

"However," continued Hiashi, "An elder from the Uchiha clan pointed out that you and your betrothed have barely even met before. You are not very comfortable with each other, as is understandable. The Hokage insists that you two achieve a level of intimacy very quickly, to hurry up the process of delivering an heir."

Hinata choked on her tea. Though the words were said delicately, silkily, their meaning was unprecedented. Was she here… for a sex talk?

"As a solution, we have come up with an alternative which is acceptable to both families."

Hinata felt her blood turn into ice. The last time she had heard the equivalent of these words, she had been told to marry a man she barely knew. This time, they were talking about creating an heir, for god's sake! What would he suggest now?

"Our suggestion is that you meet Itachi Uchiha thrice a week in his private rooms at the Uchiha Estate," Hiashi stated.

Hinata fainted.

* * *

Itachi sighed.

He had been trying to meditate for the past fifteen minutes without the slightest bit of success. It was hard to achieve inner clarity, after all, when Shisui was right by his ear whispering, "Hinata and Itachi sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes…"

While outwardly betraying no sign of distress, on the inside Itachi swore he was going to kill the impudent wretch someday.

This was not the only thing distracting him, nor even the most frequent. Other thoughts plagued his mind. Thoughts of his fiancée. He hadn't seen her since the engagement, although she had visited his house several times to complete the ancient traditions. To be honest, Itachi had been avoiding her, all because of one stupid question that had popped into his mind during the night.

What was he supposed to say to his wife-to-be?

He couldn't exactly treat her like he did his teammates or Shisui. She was, after all, his fiancée. Itachi wished he could have a little bit more experience in this. The idea had briefly come to him to ask his father, but the old widower would probably just stare at him blankly and then answer, "You have to talk to her? Like she's a human?"

Fugaku wasn't exactly an expert on the issue of marital bliss. And that was the understatement of the millennium.

Plus his life was going to become more difficult since the nice, meddling _idiot _of a Hokage had directed him to spend his afternoons with Hinata three times a week. How was he supposed to behave?

Now more than ever, Itachi wished he could have his mother for this.

And then he was promptly swept away by a memory, into one of those warm, balmy days when it was summer, and his father wasn't home to pester him to train, and okaa-san was still alive.

**(FLASHBACK)**

_Eight year old Itachi Uchiha leaned against the kitchen counter where his mother stood making cookies. He had recently been promoted to chuunin, and he had a ton of missions to deal with. This day, however, was special. Not only was it an off day, which was extremely rare, but his father was also out of town, gone to Cloud on some business. He was alone with his mother and his 4-year old brother, Sasuke, who had just begun to learn the alphabet and boasted about this whenever he could in the form of loudly screaming, "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOP…!" Today, however, he was asleep, so Itachi was with his mother in the kitchen._

"_Itachi-kun," his __mother __said, gently breaking __him __away __from __his reverie, "Could you pass the bowl over there please?"_

_He had jumped up, eager to help, and rushed for the bowl. Picking it up, he tried to run back only to trip over his own feet and fall, the bone china breaking and its shards embedding themselves into his arm._

_He didn't scream or cry. He had been trained to face worse than this. So why was his mother screaming? She ran towards him with a towel, tears streaking down her face and, carefully pulling out the shards, cleaned and bandaged his arm._

_When he asked her about that later, she said that a mother's worst fear was to see her child hurt. She then carefully kissed him on the forehead._

_After his father had returned from his visit, he had seen the bandage on Itachi's arm and questioned him. Naive as he had been, he had told the truth._

_Fugaku had calmly stood up, pulled his wife into a room, locked it and brutally beaten her._

**(END FLASHBACK)**

Itachi's eyes snapped open as he made a promise to himself. The question of what to say to his future bride suddenly had an answer, sounding something like this:

"I swear to God, Hinata Hyuuga, I will never let anyone hurt you as father hurt okaa-san. I swear that I will protect you to the best of my ability. You have nothing to fear from me."

* * *

To say that Tsunade was intoxicated would probably be like saying Naruto liked ramen. It was that obvious.

Shizune stood in front of the deranged Hokage, her eyes roving all over the place for help as the formerly sane person she called her mentor drank like a whale. Whatever had possessed Uncle Dan to entrust her to be reared by this woman, anyway? Maybe he had been swayed by the huge chest that was currently in danger of popping out in front of the eyes of a very interested Hatake Kakashi. Honestly, the man was a pervert. She had known that he read those awful Icha Icha novels, but seeing him eyeing his previous mentor's teammate's chest made her feel slightly queasy.

Not that he was the only one guilty of ogling. Jiraiya, with an enormous nosebleed, had been kicked out of the office window again. That window had been broken so many times by the Toad sannin that she was honestly considering billing him for the charges of fixing it. Or just leaving it that way to teach Tsunade a lesson.

No. That would probably lead to herself being flung through a wall by her deceased uncle's enraged fiancée.

Shizune didn't need this, not now. Why did everything have to happen to her? She had gone to the Hyuuga compound with Jiraiya for the customary weekly lesson, which would be ending soon, considering the pace Hinata was cruising at (she had grown up in a house where manners and etiquette were considered more important than breathing, after all) and found her charge slumped unconscious to the floor, with several attendants hovering around her. After they had managed to revive her, Hiashi Hyuuga had promptly explained that his daughter was supposed to meet somebody whom he referred to as 'him' only for conversing and finding common ground to initiate intimacy.

The girl had blushed like crazy through the whole thing and then refused to tell either of them a single word about what had happened.

So, on top of that, this inexplicable bout of foaming-mouthed drunkenness was driving her crazy. And, for God's sake, if Kakashi didn't stop staring at Tsunade-sama's endowments, she was going to emasculate him for sure!

Why was he here, anyway?

"Hospital…teammates…fight…stupid…moron…saké...broken…father…kill…saké! Heirs...experiments...saké... byakugan... sharingan... SAKÉ!"

The Hokage had been blubbering something along these lines, and while Shizune was usually an expert at figuring out her guardian's drunken speeches, this time it had flown right over her head. The reigning world champion at the sport, Jiraiya, had submitted to his tendency to blow great spurts of blood from of his nose at the sight of Tsunade's ample cleavage hanging out. He had been consequently flung through,the window, and was thus unavailable for comment. Kakashi didn't seem any better than her at deciphering the comments, but she couldn't see his expression beneath that stupid mask of his, so that wasn't of any help.

The seven-thousand-and-fifty-seventh time that the Hokage screamed, "SAKÉ!" Shizune lost her temper.

"Tsunade-sama!" she said sharply. She did not need to shout. Shizune seldom used her 'cold' voice and for a very good reason – the ice in it would have put the Snow Country to shame. "If you don't shut up right this second, I promise you that you will never drink saké again."

Tsunade bristled. "Are you threatening me, Shizune?" she demanded.

"No, I am making a promise. Kakashi-san, I would appreciate it if you would stop staring at the Hokage's chest, otherwise I might induce Jiraiya-san to stop selling his books to you…" she paused for a minute to survey the horrified look on his face with satisfaction, "…and if someone doesn't tell me why you are here, I swear to God I will make every person in this office wish they had never been born."

A momentary silence descended before a nervous-looking Tenten, who was presumably here for her briefing, stepped forward and said, in trembling tones, "Shizune-san, Sasuke and Naruto got into a fight again over something that Naruto said, and then ended up using their Rasengan and Chidori respectively, which wouldn't have mattered so much if it hadn't been for the fact that they actually managed to connect. Naruto is fine now, because of his otherworldly ability to heal, but Sasuke is in the hospital, and Hokage-sama was just, um, instructing Kakashi-sensei about the follies of allowing his students to fight when so many of our shinobi are in Suna…" She trailed off nervously.

Shizune sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"All right, I will handle this," she spoke commandingly to Tenten, who was standing there with two other nervous-looking chuunin. "You three, go back to your houses, your appointment has been rescheduled for tomorrow morning at 9 o' clock. Kazuo ," she continued, referring to the more brutish-looking brown-haired teen, who started nervously at being addressed. "Please assist Jiraiya-sama into the hospital, as I fear he is unable to walk right now. Take the help of Minami-san from the translation department. She will be working in Room No. 3. At the hospital, leave Jiraiya-sama at the reception – he will be taken care of there. Kakashi-san, kindly return to your duties. Tsunade-same, no more saké. You have had enough. We'll have to choose the medic who will attend to Sasuke, not that there are many free ones…"

Shizune rifled through the pages of the enormous shinobi ledger lying on one of the side tables, and then sighed when she saw the only person who was available for this.

"Ah well, I guess Sasuke has a date with Hinata-chan again." 


	9. Advice and Training

**So the next (revised) installment is up.**

**If you are rereading this chapter, and find it infinitely better, then all credit goes to my amazing beta, Tomas the Betrayer.**

**And life goes on. Another chapter full of our favorite triangle. All I can say is that shortly some of you will LOVE Hatake Kakashi, and some of you will HATE him.**

**Review, please!**

**If I own Naruto, then Darth Vader owns the universe.**

* * *

Chapter 9

Advice and Training

"Would you like some more tea?"

"No, I'm f-fine, thank you."

Insert awkward silence here.

Itachi sighed. This was how most of the meetings with Hyuuga Hinata seemed to go. He and Hatake Kakashi were in the Mist Village in order to monitor the details of a certain anti-Konoha group. Their mission had been successful – they had successfully apprehended the suspects, turned them over to the authorities, and managed to uncover details of another such party. Which left plenty of free time for Itachi to obsess over his bride-to-be.

They had been meeting thrice a week in his private quarters, always supervised by a stony-faced Uchiha elder. They wouldn't have made much progress anyway, but the presence of Miyanami-san was actually degrading their relationship – they seemed to talk less and less with each forthcoming visit.

He could count on one hand the topics they had been through. One was, of course, the universal subject of tea. Then their respective missions, their families, their teams, and finally, how fast the village was expanding. That was it. Every time he tried to start a new topic, he would meet Miyanami-san's disapproving glare, and his voice would get stuck in his throat.

Itachi didn't think that he was a man who could be easily intimidated. He was, after all, an ANBU captain, and the heir (for an unknown amount of time…) of the house of Uchiha. The word 'intimidation' should not be in his vocabulary, unless it was applied to others. But Miyanami-san was an exception. That woman could make Morino Ibiki pee in his pants. And it wasn't just a metaphorical idea – it had, very literally, taken place about a decade ago. Which explained very well Ibiki's aversion to the Uchiha.

But back to the subject. His meetings with Hinata had not come to any fruition. Nearly a month had passed. Twelve meetings had not eased his apprehension towards meeting his fiancée. Nor was she in a different state, judging by the amount of blushing and stuttering that she did while in his (and the formidable Miyanami-san's) presence. She showed the utmost concentration towards mastering the Art of Fiddling With Your Fingers.

Their time together was brief as always. Less than half an hour in the soon-to-be couple were bidding one another respectful goodbyes before parting ways. While the girl went to do whatever she did when left to her own devices, Itachi left resolved to devote himself to finding a way out of this social stalemate.

The fact remained that he had absolutely no clue as to what to say to his betrothed. He couldn't ask his father, because the man was an emotional drain. His brother was in the hospital for some injuries to the torso that were taking a rather long time to heal. Itachi visited him regularly, of course, but he could never quite gather the courage to ask Sasuke for help (which was strictly confidential information – he would become the laughing stock of the entire village if they found out that he was afraid to ask his _little brother _how to _court a girl_). Shisui was out of the question – Itachi did not appreciate being laughed at, and laugh Shisui would, then probably gossip to top it off.

The only other options were – a) The Uchiha elders, b) Jiraiya, and c) Hatake Kakashi. Since the first two options were out by default (the elders? Those old, impotent fools? Give me a break! Or an aged, perverted sannin, whose only interaction with ladies seems to be through the peepholes in public baths? Get serious!), he was forced to revert to his last option; that is, Hatake Kakashi.

The Copycat ninja was at present effortlessly keeping up with Itachi's fast pace through the forests surrounding the Land of Fire's peripheral region. Feeling the young captain's scrutiny, his masked companion turned towards him and said, "Shall we stop for a break now, Itachi-san?"

Grasping at the opportunity that the elder man had offered him, Itachi nodded, and both ninjas slowed down, finally stopping at a little clearing where the trees afforded them protection. Kakashi immediately sat on the ground. "Forgive me, Itachi-san. Sometimes I tend to forget how many years have passed by… I am, after all, no longer the same man that I was at your age…"

"Kakashi-san," Itachi said decisively, balancing each word out. "Can I ask you a question?"

Hatake blinked, surprised. "Why, of course. It would be an honour to help my student's brother."

He leaned heavily against a tree. "What does one say to their fiancée?"

"Is this about Hinata-san?" Clearly the other man was curious. Itachi nodded in a resigned fashion – best to get everything over with now. His inquisitor smirked knowingly, a look of almost child-like glee coming over the portion of his face that was visible. "Well, I myself have never been engaged, but I have read several books on the matter, which, if I do say so myself, makes me rather an expert. First things first: where are you meeting your beloved fiancée?"

"In my private quarters. Father insisted that we should get to know each other a little better, as we are to produce an heir soon after marriage…"

"Oh ho ho!" Kakashi was positively giggling by now. "Get to know each other a little better, eh? I never knew old Fugaku had it in him! Why, he almost qualifies to enter the Super-P club now! I must ask Jiraiya-sama, yes, Fugaku's slyness is exceedingly admirable. But to get back to the subject," he continued, eye coming into focus once again. "Well, why don't I tell you as we proceed, Itachi-san?"

Itachi nodded helplessly, listening attentively to Kakashi as the masked jounin outlined _exactly _what he was supposed to do. Surely no one could be better at understanding others hearts than the Copycat ninja himself, right?

* * *

Sasuke brushed himself off as his medic redid the bandages around his chest. Her close proximity was making him slightly nervous, and his wounds still stung, a fact of which he was rather ashamed. Here he was, sitting in the hospital for _one month _because of injuries inflicted by the dobe, while the blond idiot himself was out within half an hour. And to top it off, the reminder of what had caused the fight in the first place was fresh in his mind. He solemnly vowed, for the umpteenth time, never to touch saké again.

He had, foolishly, accepted a bet by the dobe to see who could drink more and still stay sober. As the pile of glasses escalated, that brunette teammate of the male Hyuuga had walked in, and Sasuke's eye was drawn to the rather, um, notable outfit she was displaying. The top was ridiculously low cut, and, in his inebriated state, Sasuke could not help but stare. Of course, Naruto had noticed, and the comments about him having a crush on the girl (what was her name? Temtek? Tonton?) had started coming forth. Sasuke had denied it vigorously, and, in a moment of foolishness, declared that he had his heart set on another girl. Naruto had of course taken that to mean a declaration of his love for Sakura, and had promptly challenged him, refusing to hear his objections. Sasuke had screamed that Sakura was the farthest thing from a girl he would be attracted to, and of course, the girl in question had taken that exact moment to walk in. Which had led to a rather loud crying-and-running-in-the-dramatic-slow-fashion-like-movies session, and an attack by Naruto for making his 'beloved Sakura-chan' cry.

Kakashi had just sat there and enjoyed the show with a smirk.

The only bit of satisfaction he received was overhearing the hospital nurses gossip about how the Hokage had chewed Kakashi out. The masked idiot he called his sensei deserved it.

And now, to top off his torment, the very woman who had been haunting his thoughts of late was currently bent over his chest and bandaging his wounds.

Her soft breath fanned out over his torso, making the hair on the back of his neck rise. Her eyes were half-hooded, lips slightly parted and cheeks flushed. He knew that it was probably because of her intense concentration, but he couldn't help but fantasize on the other ways in which that particular look could be reproduced…

Oh sweet Jiraiya in his undies, stop, _stop!_ This was his brother's fiancée he was thinking about, for God's sake. She was taken, end of story. What was he supposed to say, anyway? 'Hey, I know that you're gonna be married to my brother in eight months, but I find you hellishly attractive, so can we have a quick snog?' It didn't matter that her lips were like rose petals on snow, or that her cheeks had the tiniest tinge of peach to it, or that her pearl-like eyes seemed to draw him in, drowning him in their depths…

Okay, Uchiha. Stop right there. Remember: sister-in-law. Itachi. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out. That's a good boy.

"Sasuke-san," Hyuuga Hinata said timidly, her voice barely audible, her tongue reaching out to wet her bottom lip. Sasuke immediately forgot all the thoughts he was having and proceeded to stare at the slightly wet, gleaming pink morsel. The offending, delicious tongue reached out to swipe it once again. "Um, Sasuke-san?" Hinata tried again.

He snapped out of it. This was no time to be having fantasies about his future sister-in-law. Even if she was tantalizingly biting that lower lip. "Yes?" he said, making an effort to sound professional. Attempt failed. His voice came out husky, basically screaming 'sex!'

Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice. Hinata opened her mouth and said, "I was, um, wondering if you know someone who could help me with… training?"

That got his attention. "Training?" he asked, suddenly alert, and sounding much more normal.

She nodded her head. "You see," the girl continued, "I have to find a trainer to train me for the next eight months, and my teacher is pregnant, so…" She left off nervously, teeth worrying that candy-colored lip.

And suddenly Sasuke knew that he could be selfish. He had perhaps always known, but the realization of what he was going to do now left him breathless. He wanted to stop, unfortunately the major part of his mind and tongue had a (pun intended) mind of its own. He heard himself saying, horrified, but slightly elated at the same time, "I could do that."

Hinata gaped. Sasuke tried, very strenuously, to avoid her eyes. "Pardon?" she asked incredulously, too shocked even to stutter.

"I said that I could train you, if you want, of course," Sasuke mumbled.

He closed his eyes, fully expecting a sound 'no', maybe with a horrified expression. Who was he to her, after all, apart from her patient, and the brother of her fiancé? Of course she wouldn't say yes. He was such a foolish prat –

His thoughts were interrupted by a large, curvy, soft _thing _throwing itself on him. His eyes snapped open, shocked, as Hinata breathed, "Thankyou thankyou _thankyou!"_

She leaned back abruptly, cheeks flushed, eyes bright, smiling the largest smile that he had ever seen on her face and looking incomparably pretty. "So, I'll see you on the training grounds after you're released?" her voice sang. Too overwhelmed to form a coherent reply, he nodded. Beaming, she practically skipped out of the room, leaving the door wide open in her wake.

Sasuke pressed his hands to his face, attempting to slow his breathing. The image of Hinata's smiling features was burnt into his mind. He would give anything, _anything, _to see it again.

A voice startled him out of his reverie by saying, "What was that about?"

* * *

Sakura walked up the hospital steps, her leather sandals making a loud 'slap' on the stairs. She was technically not allowed onto that floor, but today she had a valid excuse – Shizune-san had asked her to deliver a message. Seizing the opportunity, she had hurried here with the utmost haste. After all, it was Sasuke-kun she was going to see.

Naruto-baka had severely injured Sasuke-kun's chest and abdomen over some comment that he had made. Sakura had shown that loudmouth the error of his ways (in a _very _physical manner) – nothing that came out of Sasuke-kun's mouth could ever be wrong. He was always right.

Well, not _always_. The other day (coincidentally, the same day that Sasuke-kun had gotten hurt. How curious…) he had said some things that had hurt her a lot, but of course he didn't mean it. How could he, when he loved her so much? Sasuke-kun was drunk, and Naruto-baka undoubtedly egged him on. Sasuke-kun loved her – he had ever since they were kids. After all, she _was _the only girl he called by her first name. Even Ino couldn't claim that honour. She was also his teammate, and she understood him better than anyone else. Of course they were in love.

And yet…

Sakura stopped, frowning. There was something odd about Shizune's behavior lately – both times that Sasuke-kun had been in the hospital, someone else had been assigned to him. She was almost beginning to believe that it was on purpose. Maybe Shizune was trying to keep her away from her beloved Sasuke-kun – she _had_ been looking at him oddly lately. Maybe that was another person she needed to keep an eye out for…

She reached the top of the stairs, and took a deep breath. The determined messenger was about to proceed towards Sasuke-kun's room when she promptly collided with someone.

Said person whirled back while crying, "Sorry, sorry, sorry!" and whirled downstairs in a flash of dark hair and white skin.

Sakura blinked. Surely that wasn't… Hyuuga Hinata? Looking like she had just hit the jackpot?

Sakura should her head to clear it, and then proceeded forward, only to stop mid-step.

The corridor had many rooms, but all of their doors were closed. All save one.

Sasuke-kun's room.

What was Hinata-bloody-Hyuuga doing in Sasuke-kun's room?

She hurried forward and stepped inside, only to see her beloved with his face in his hands. Perturbed, she demanded, "What was that about?"

Sasuke's head shot up. His face was flushed, and he had a raw, animalistic look in his eyes. He turned to look at her, and Sakura stepped back nervously. In all the time that Sakura had known him, he had never looked at her so… longingly.

The passion faded out of his eyes, to be replaced by the emotionless mask she both loved and hated. "Sakura," he said simply. "What are you doing here?"

She cautiously stepped inside, walking quickly to perch herself on Sasuke-kun's bed. He shifted away from her. Ignoring the pang of hurt that went through her, she said, "Shizune sent me. You are being discharged tomorrow. She thinks you will recuperate fine at home." And then, because she couldn't help herself, "What was that about?"

His face was inscrutable. "What was what about?"

Sakura shifted impatiently. "You know what I'm talking about. Hyuuga Hinata. What was she doing here?"

"What should she be doing here? She's my medic."

Sakura's expression changed into one of blind fury. "I can't believe Shizune put that two-timing little slut in charge of-"

"DON'T SPEAK ABOUT HER LIKE THAT!"

Sakura recoiled, shocked. Sasuke lowered his voice, but the look on his face was furious and his breathing didn't slow down. "_Don't_ speak about her like that."

Tears threatened to roll down her face. "Why? What is she to you? Tell me, what is she to you that you would shout at me?"

Sasuke didn't answer. He was looking down at his bedsheets, his breathing still very strained.

Sakura felt something ignite within her. She leaned in and cupped that brooding face in her hands, angling it towards hers. Their lips were barely an inch apart. It was now or never. She moved forward.

When there wasn't even a millimeter between them, Sasuke abruptly pulled back, turning his face away and wrenching it out of Sakura's hands.

The rejected girl felt her tears overflow. "Why?" she said shakily. "Why won't you kiss me? Why won't you go out with me? Why are you defending her? She's your brother's fiancée, for God's sake! Why, Sasuke-kun?"

He was silent.

Sakura stood up and slapped him, hard. His face jerked to the side. He didn't turn back.

Her sobs were becoming more vocal now. She ran out of the room and slammed the door behind her, only to slide sobbing to the ground outside.

She loved Sasuke-kun. And he loved her.

Then, why, _why_ did she hate him so much right now?


	10. Feelings and the PClub

**Many, many thanks to my beta, Tomas the Betrayer, for doing such a fantastic job.**

**Standard disclaimer applies, blah blah blah, yada yada yada, and onto the story!**

**Review, please.**

* * *

Chapter 10

Feelings and the P-Club

Hinata nervously picked at the sleeve of her expensive gray kimono, breaking a few strands. She stared at them in dismay – the dressmaker would not be pleased. This kimono had cost a fortune, that she was sure of, with its gold-trimmed embroidery and delicate sewing. It was soft and comfortable, and now yet another reason for which she was going to be scolded.

She had a valid excuse this time, though. Her fiancé, Uchiha Itachi, would be arriving for his thrice-weekly meeting, and their chaperone, Miyanami-sama, was already here.

Hinata knew that she was easily intimidated. Her father and the rest of the elders were living proof of that. Not to mention the Hokage, half the jounin in the village, Uchiha Fugaku-san her soon-to-be father-in-law, and her fiancé himself. But anybody, even the Uchiha themselves, would need to have souls of steel to withstand Uchiha Miyanami's chilly glare. That woman could make the snow country seem tropical. A perfect addition to her already miserable day.

She had woken up this morning to a loud banging on the screen doors to her room. Opening them timidly, it was more than a little surprising to see Shizune standing outside with a half-naked Jiraiya. The disheveled legend had on little more than a loincloth, and was showing off all his sagging muscles in their questionable glory. Hinata had very nearly fainted – she was actually in the process of dropping to the ground – when Shizune grabbed her and pulled her firmly upright.

"Oh no, you don't!" she said, in a voice more terrible than hell itself. Hinata had long since deduced that the woman had wasted her talent in becoming a shinobi rather than a stage actor – the way she had everybody fooled with that sweet and docile outer appearance was completely at contrast with her inner Satan.

Her glowering tutor pulled her into the room, dragging Jiraiya behind. Timidly, Hinata sat down, expecting the woman to start pulling out appropriate kimono as she always did on the days when she had to meet Itachi-san. However, Shizune instead offered a surprise by promptly announcing, "We are going to test you today."

The frightened chuunin felt sweat pool under her armpits and on her forehead. "A t-test? I d-don't think that you s-said anything about a t-t-t-test last time…"

She trailed off, looking at the ferocious expression on Shizune's face and feeling no less nervous. Hinata was not good at tests. She only did well when she had extensive preparation, and this time it was a total surprise! It was bound to end badly, and when Father saw the results he would be angry. Then all the Elders would ridicule her again, and then –

Hinata was brought out of her panicky reverie by the sound of someone chuckling. Whirling around, she saw the shirtless sannin laughing merrily. Wiping his eyes, he said "Oh, Hina-chan! You're really serious, you know that? We're simply gonna ask you to choose your own dress, you know?"

"Correct." Shizune's grim alto broke the joyous atmosphere. Seriously, that woman had the ability to make her voice sound like the Bells of Doom. "Today, you will choose your own outfit for your rendezvous with Itachi-san." She sighed, and then sat down, her back ramrod straight. "Hinata-sama, we have done our utmost to educate you in the arts befitting the Lady of one of the Noble Clans. We were fortunate to find you well-educated in most of them, but deprived in certain other sections. This is primarily because of your upbringing as the Head of a Clan, instead of the Lady. The Head always has a valet, or numerous assistants to choose the most appropriate outfit as befitting the occasion. For the Lady, however, it is another matter altogether."

Shizune's posture, if possible, got even stiffer. "As Lady, you are expected to uphold the reputation of your clan, and show the utmost grace, poise, and class. You may find it necessary to visit foreign lands to assist your husband in any way possible. While there, you are expected to behave with honour, to refrain from taking any action which would harm your clan. Sometimes, the members of other Houses may be adverse to you, and may even challenge you. If so, you are expected to accept the challenge, and in the manner befitting a Lady, show them that you are superior."

Hinata nodded slowly in understanding. Apparently the topic of Jiraiya's nudity was not going to be addressed at all. And so the lecture continued.

"The duties of a Lady are very different from that of the Head. You will forego all that you have learned 'til now. It is not your responsibility to negotiate, but rather to insure that the other party is sufficiently interested. You must support your husband's and your Clan's ideals at all times." Shizune held up a finger for emphasis. Hinata stared at that digit with all the attention as if it was a cobra that might bite her. "In these situations, the way you dress yourself is of utmost importance. You should not depend on your maids, for they may gossip, and then you will be ridiculed. Rather, your own sense of propriety, of class, should guide you when you endeavor to dress yourself. You must be very careful – a single mistake can lead to the failure of the whole plan. And that is where we will test you today."

The older lady strode over to the closet and swept the painted silk doors open, revealing a wealth of expensive fabrics on display inside. She turned about and fixed Hinata with a forbidding expression, every inch the heartless taskmistress.

"Today you will choose your own kimono to the meeting. Be careful to show appropriate modesty as befitting a young lady from an honourable clan, as well as considering the Uchiha colours, as they are your future family, while not forgetting the fact that you are a Hyuuga. You must remember that you are, for now, merely a visitor, and dress as such, but keep in mind that you are soon to be joined to them, and in a high position as well. Lastly, do remember your age, and dress in a manner that complements you and your youth." Shizune indicated back towards her cohort. "Jiraiya and I are here to judge you. Do not expect any help from us. If you are not able to succeed, then rest assured that you will never be a true Lady, merely a puppet on strings; easily manipulated, a weak and shameful creature. I hope for your sake that you may prove to have enough poise to pull it off. You may start now."

Hinata scrambled up, mind reeling with the weight of what she had just been told. Shizune's lecture had made her feel slightly dizzy, as well as awakening a fear of rejection in her abused brain. She walked like a sleepwalker to the doors to her enormous dressing room – it was, courtesy of Jiraiya, at least 8 times the size of her bedroom itself. Coming to life all of a sudden, she began feverishly flipping through the racks of kimonos, aware of two pairs of eyes watching her.

For several minutes the only sound was the slight shuffle of the dress stands. They all looked the same to her eyes. Panic started to cloud her mind as she attempted to find a kimono that would fulfill all of the qualities listed by Shizune, and she began to rifle through even faster. It was useless. It would take days to find such a kimono, if it existed, and by then she would already have failed – failed in so many things,and so many people. Like her family, her fiancé, the other chuunin, including her new trainer…

Suddenly, her fingers came in contact with a soft, silvery-gray kimono, and Hinata knew instantly that it was perfect. The gray symbolized her impending marriage, her 'coming to life' after waiting in the shadows, while the silver in it highlighted her elegant features, accentuating her pale eyes and skin and making it contrast against the dark indigo of her hair. The elegant fabric alluded to her high position, while the modest neck fulfilled it. A pattern of white spring leaves, outlined in black, displayed the union of the Uchiha and the Hyuuga, while the gold-trimmed embroidery complimented her youth, and the dark red outline sensually implied of things to come, the joining together of the two houses, and so much more.

Hopefully the young noble turned to show her two judges her choice, and was rewarded with a stunning smile, the first of its kind, from Shizune. The dark-haired woman stepped forward and put a hand on Hinata's cheek, glowing with pleasure. "Well done, Hinata-san! We are proud of you! To choose such an elegant kimono – you have truly proved your worth today, Hinata-sama."

There had been no time to savor the pride this statement had bestowed upon her. After that harrowing episode, Hinata had been plucked, polished, and tweezed until she was, in the words of Jiraiya himself, 'lookin' like one of those dolls they sell at those silly stores.'

Afterwards they had hurried through the house, as Shizune claimed it was getting late for her meeting, although she still had a good hour left. On the way, she had caught a glimpse of a very shirtless Neji, sweating as he was training. He may be her cousin, but Hyuuga Neji was definitely an attractive male, and Hinata had promptly blushed and fallen over. Which had caused a further delay, and turned Shizune from a simmering pot of hot water to an overboiling one.

Finally she had arrived at the Uchiha estate, only to find out that Uchiha Itachi was still unavailable, and would she like a cup of tea, please?

Now Hinata was sitting in a cool, steel-gray chamber blessed with a wide window, a fresh garden and a cool breeze, which would have been quite refreshing if not for the fact that Death herself was sitting in front of her.

Considering Uchiha Miyanami's stature, one would not call her intimidating. She was very short, barely 5 feet, and exceedingly plump. Her pink yukata stretched tight across her belly, and every breath she took came out as a wheeze. Looking at her, Hinata automatically put herself on alarm mode, because the woman looked like she was going to explode at any second.

But it was her expression and manners which made her terrifying. She was an ancient woman, having seen several generations of Uchiha go by, and her opinion was much valued. Her face was set into lines carved out of her face due to age, which were many in number, but always with the same expression – one of distaste. She did not like Hinata, and made no secret of it. Her manners and behavior, while exceedingly appropriate, could not be called courteous – there was always the hint of sarcasm, of a dislike that was out of place. Her eyes, too, beady and black, made no secret as to her intense disfavor towards the match, and Hinata had heard that she was quite vocal about it in her private time too.

If it was only _herself_ who was targeted, perhaps it would not have been so bad. After all, she was used to adverse treatment from the various members of her family. But the woman also seemed to have a grudge against Itachi himself – she was somehow less subtle about her hatred for him, and often criticized him when he said or did something that was even remotely inappropriate in her eyes. It was discomfiting to see a man who was so obviously used to praise and favorable comments being treated the way he was now. Obviously Itachi was not used to it, and his reactions, although almost always nonexistent, sometimes revealed a fury that was visible to none but his future wife.

It scared Hinata sometimes, how easily she was able to read him. A few weeks into their meetings, she had been able to discern his moods; when he was frustrated, or angry, or when he wanted to say something but wouldn't. Itachi was the epitome of politeness, but she knew that he was itching to say more than the customary questions about tea and her life in general. He was frustrated, and in some strange twist of fate, she was too; for after all, weren't these meetings being held in the first place to achieve a new level of intimacy between them? They were supposed to get to know each other, to enjoy one another's presence, to act as a normal couple would. But the confines of their relationship, the awkwardness resulting from the fact that they were both forced, and their disagreeable chaperone made this nigh impossible to do.

It had surprised her when she had first detected such emotions in Itachi Uchiha. She knew that it was an awful thing to say, but she had assumed, like everyone else, that he would be comfortable in his status as village poster-boy. A playboy in all the meanings of the word; happy to be popular, handsome, and an arrogant, powerful young man who did not hesitate killing his own relatives. Reports from Naruto (who was, after all, quite close to his younger brother) had instilled the image of a quiet, deadly killing machine. The rumours that flew around the village about his acts in the ANBU did nothing to dispel this. He was, after all, a child prodigy, and heaven knew that to reach such a high position in shinobi ranking you had to be ruthless. Not to mention that he completely fit the bill – silent, brooding, with dark hair and eyes. Very intimidating, even if he did not mean to be. It was one of the original reasons why she had been adverse to him marrying Hanabi – she did not want her sister married to a man who had no qualms about killing somebody; a bloody, emotionless monster.

But Hinata's recent association with Itachi had almost completely changed her opinion. She could make out now that he was nothing like what the others said. She had first noticed it at the engagement, when she had seem how compassionate and polite he was, but had thought little of it, her beaten-in ability to doubt herself overwhelming such impressions. Surely her thoughts were nothing compared to the others? All of her friends insisted that he was a cold-blooded killer, so they must be right, and she herself mistaken.

However, the time she spent with him, although bereft of conversation, more than made up for it by character observation. While they sat silently, awkwardly under the hawk's-eye of Miyanami-san, she could not help but notice certain characteristics in his behavior which completely dispelled her previous biased version of him. Whatever anyone said, she was a very observant girl, long years of training in that very position with the Byakugan having significantly improved her natural ability.

Hinata saw the sad aura which seemed to emanate from him whenever he had come from a mission with a particularly bad ending or which had required the death of a person, Konoha citizen or otherwise. He seemed to dislike the topic of killing and fighting, preferring to steer to other classier subjects like art or poetry. She had been astonished at the proficiency he showed in literature, believing him to be a cocky, arrogant, ill-bred man, but his intelligence in those subjects disproved that. He was especially knowledgeable about different jutsus as well, often giving her advice, much to the displeasure of their chaperone.

But it was the non-verbal things which struck her the most. How he seemed to mentally flinch whenever Miyanami-san spoke disapprovingly to him, how he always obeyed her orders, and how he replied back with utmost courtesy, even if the old woman's speech was less than savory. He was quiet, but not in an arrogant, proud way – rather, he was quiet because there was nothing to say, or because he was struggling to gather his thoughts. He was so like a boy that way – clearly afraid of rejection, of disapproval, working so hard to earn the respect of someone who was so unpleasant.

It made her experience a tiny, fluttering feeling in her heart.

She could not help it – whenever she saw him so obviously in conflict with himself, she felt a strange urge to protect him, to help him, although she knew that he was probably much better at protecting himself and would resent her interfering anyway. Her heart fluttered whenever she saw him, and not in a good way. No, that wasn't true. It felt exceedingly _right_, so much so that it didn't feel right at all. His destined bride was scared as to where this was leading her, where it would take her. She had confided in no one except her sensei, and Kurenai had done nothing but pat her head lovingly and telling her that she was becoming a woman.

When Hinata had asked for specification on that answer, there had been none, so she had asked an old, trusted servant as to what Kurenai had meant, not divulging any details as to _who _she was talking about. The old woman had stared at her for a moment, and then asked her if she felt that way when she saw a boy.

Blushing, Hinata had replied in the affirmative.

The old woman had simply shaken her head and told her that she was falling in love.

But that couldn't be right, could it? It certainly didn't jive with Hinata's personal experience on the subject. This wasn't how love felt. She was in love with Naruto, or had been, anyways, and the feeling she got then was nothing like what she felt now. With Naruto, she had been craving for attention, for him to notice her, talk to her, _be with _her. It was an overwhelming _need_ for approval, almost the same way that she felt when she was with her father.

With Itachi… it was completely different. It seemed like something inside her would just spark to life when she saw him, something that had been missing for a very long time. Whatever this was, it made her feel complete. She did not need him to notice her – she simply wanted to be there, in his presence, to be with him, support him, help him. She would have been happy to just exist in his vicinity, to be a fly on the wall; a small, unnoticed fly that had the honour of observing him. She felt as if she could be with him forever.

It scared her, the intensity with which her heart throbbed sometimes, more so because she couldn't place these feelings. It _couldn't _be love, because love was what she felt for Naruto, right? Friendship, too, was nothing like this, an observation made from spending many happy years with Kiba and Shino. Her brotherly affection for Neji, too, failed to fit the bill, and her scholarly appreciation for the elder shinobi in the village also could not accurately describe her feelings.

The only one who came even close to the mark was Uchiha Sasuke, the younger brother of her future husband.

Her relationship with Sasuke had grown more complex over the last few months. He had agreed to train her, out of compassion more or less, and Hinata was grateful for the fact that at least someone was there to help her win the fight against Hanabi. Time to train had been more available as her tri-weekly meetings with his elder brother were temporarily stalled due to an overload of missions. She had not seen Itachi after his last mission, in which he had been paired with Hatake Kakashi. Rumour was that both shinobi had been sent on another round as soon as they had reached the village, not even being able to come back home.

Sasuke was a good teacher, she had to admit. He was demanding and strong, but he pushed her limits like no one had done before, not even Kurenai, who for all her sweetness spent a lot of her time training Shino and Kiba. It felt nice to have someone so utterly focused on you and you alone. She enjoyed their meetings, the opportunity for conversation that presented itself being exceedingly exciting. He was at least as intelligent, if not more, as his brother. She had attempted to pay him for his services, but his reaction had prevented that, and she was almost out of her mind with gratitude.

Hinata was very thankful that some unseen outer force had _finally _decided to give her enough courage to ask him if he knew anyone who was willing to teach her, and lo and behold, he had agreed himself. She wondered what his reason was. After all, she was just another shinobi, a chuunin who worked in the hospital and seldom went on outside missions, one who had been among the countless people he had gone to school with, and of no more interest to him than for being his future sister-in-law.

That must be it – he must be trying to improve relations between them before her marriage, to make life a little bit easier for her. But…

A frown creased her face. He didn't know what he was training her for, did he? He had no idea that if she did indeed manage to win against Hanabi, then she would become the leader of her clan, and the marriage would be called off. Then there would be no familial relations between them, and no reason for him to continue training her.

She wondered if she should tell him. He had a right to know, after all. But if she did, then he would stop the training for sure. There was no reason, no motive for him to spend his time helping a girl who would never be anything more than a passing acquaintance for him. And then she would be alone once again, and even farther from her goal of defeating Hanabi than ever.

So Hinata chose to be selfish. She would not tell Sasuke that if she won the match then she would never be a part of his family. It hurt her to keep him in the dark like this, especially since he had been so honest and helpful to her, but it wasn't just her fate that hung in the balance – it was also Hanabi's.

If she lost the fight, if she admitted defeat, then Hanabi would become heir. And while any normal person would be delighted at the opportunity, Hanabi detested the very idea and feared it with an intensity that scared them both. Ever since her younger sister was born and their mother died, Hinata had felt a strange, protective, almost maternal urge towards her. It had risen from the fact that their gentle, loving mother was no longer there to protect and care for the helpless infant, already in the centre of such a ruthless political debate.

Now, eleven years later, Hinata still cared for her imotou-san. She knew that becoming heir would completely destroy Hanabi's fragile mind, already weakened by years of abuse from their father. Her treasured sibling would be gone forever, replaced by a mindless puppet who knew nothing save how to be used in a bid to gain power by those selfish, power-hungry money-mongers that were their elders.

Hinata would not, could not let that happen to her. Hanabi was her little sister, and she would do everything in her power to help her. Even if it meant deceiving a trusting man who wanted only to help, or forego her own life to be under the thumb of the very people she hated most.

The brooding maiden straightened, her sharp shinobi ears detecting the sound of a disturbance in the hallway. Someone was approaching the room. By the light step, almost soundless and undoubtedly that of a shinobi, she knew it was another ninja. But who? The walk was decidedly male, and strode towards the room without any overt suggestion of hesitation. Still Hinata could detect the slight turmoil, the reluctance.

It was without question Itachi-san.

She unconsciously smoothed her hair and the few wrinkles on her dress. The girl finished her last-minute preparations and looked up just as Itachi walked into the room.

He looked tired. His clothes clung to his body, and a thin sheen of sweat covered his face. And somehow, impossibly, Hinata felt her heart rate speed up. It started thumping at such a pace that she was surprised it did not stop due to exhaustion. I wonder if he can hear it?

Itachi made a very brusque greeting which she returned. He then poured out tea for them, and as he bent over, his shirt gaped open, revealing a lean, toned chest, the sight of which immediately sent a shock through her. Her heart went into overdrive.

Breathing as inconspicuously as she could, she accepted the cup of tea from his hands. What was wrong with her today? She had seen Jiraiya's chest, and Neji's chest, but none of them had incited such a reaction! It felt as though her body was on fire, and she could not draw her eyes away from him. Every movement held significance. How he was delicately holding his cup, the way one hand rose to brush his hair out of his eyes…

Okay, enough. Stop right there, Hyuuga Hinata. You are not going to wonder if his hair is soft, or if his fingers are callused, even though they are temptingly long and…

Hinata took a deep breath in, and then exhaled. Again, and again. Slowly. It's all okay. You're not going to panic. It's just a chest, and fingers. Even if they were the longest fingers she had ever seen, like a pianist's, and the chest was smooth and toned.

Oh, it was hopeless. She couldn't find the strength to look away. She would just have to settle for ogling as discreetly as she could.

Itachi cleared his throat. "I hope you have been well, Hinata-san."

"Q-Quite, thank you. I trust your mission went well."

He nodded. "Reasonably. The objective was achieved and no lives were lost. I hope my brother has not troubled the hospital since I have been gone?"

"No, Sasuke-san has not been to the hospital since the… incident… with Naruto-kun."

End of conversation.

Seems like this was going to be like just any other day.

Suddenly Itachi took a deep breath, seemingly making up his mind, and leaned forward across the table to grab her by the shoulders.

Uh-oh.

* * *

Jiraiya was lying back on a roof, snoozing, when he heard the sound of a shinobi approaching.

He cowered, hoping it was not Shizune. That woman could be scary when she was mad. She had taken offence to something he had said earlier in the day, which was actually complimentary, of all things. He had no idea why she would lose her temper when he so artfully praised her _assets._

Anyway, the Tsunade-reincarnation had promptly beaten him up, ripping apart his shirt even, and then dragged him to the Hyuuga compound in that disreputable state. He had thought that it was the end of his life. The Hyuuga, it seemed, did not take kindly to having a half-naked man, even one as handsome as himself, on their grounds.

After spending a long morning with Hina-chan, he had been pushed out again, and had somehow, miraculously, managed to escape. Jiraiya wasn't sure about exactly what Shizune could have in mind, and that was never a good thing.

This was why he was very relieved when his protégée, Hatake Kakashi, was the one who landed on the roof.

Kakashi seemed excited today, almost bursting at the seams. He was jumping up and down like a little boy, and when Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, his pupil gave the wickedest laugh that he had ever heard.

Maybe this was Orochimaru in disguise?

Nope. This figure seemed to have a pulse.

"Jiraiya-sama," Kakashi giggled. "I have found a person worthy of entering the great P-Club!"

This was intriguing news. People worthy to join the exclusive P-Club were few and far between. Seeing Kakashi's excited demeanor, Jiraiya concluded that this new intern was definitely someone to be reckoned with.

"Well, don' keep me in the dark, Kakashi. Who is it?"

The silver-haired loafer looked like he had just taken something extremely illegal. "Uchiha Fugaku!"

Jiraiya felt himself deflate. "Uchiha _Fugaku_? Honestly, Kakashi, I expected better of you. Don't you know that the man doesn't have a passionate cell in his body? He's got a stick so far up his arse it's in his brain! He wouldn't notice an attractive woman if she was naked in front of him!"

Kakashi shook his head. "That's what I thought, Jiraiya-sama! But recent events have proved that we are wrong! Uchiha Fugaku has revealed his worth using a very valuable tool – his own son, Uchiha Itachi!"

That caused his interest to spark anew. "Continue," he said, waving his arm regally, the way he had seen King what's-his-name on that TV soap.

"He has set up 'special meetings' for his son with Hinata Hyuuga! Apparently, they are to 'get to know each other better', to hurry up the process of making an heir!"

Jiraiya felt himself sag once again. He wasn't an inflatable balloon, damn it! "So what?" he said dully.

"So don't you get it? Making an heir! He's gonna lock them both in a room which is secluded, with nobody around, and tell them to get to know each other better, so that they can 'produce an heir'? The funniest thing is, I never would have found out if Itachi-san hadn't told me."

Jiraiya felt a sinking sensation in the bottom of his stomach. "What?"

Kakashi was positively exuberant by now. "Poor Itachi didn't even know what to do. He asked me on our mission, and I gave him some tips on how to seduce her, and what to do after that, during their next meeting!"

"WHAT?

* * *

**So...**

**The P-Club stands for the Pervert Club, in case you were wondering. Or, as Jiraiya wishes, the Passionate Club.**

**And that's it for tonight, folks! And my Bugs Bunny impression. Review is my siren call!**


	11. Revealing Encounters and Incense Holders

**My beta, Tomas the Betrayer, suggested that this chapter be called the "Venting chapter". I say that it would be a good alternative name, but the current one is somewhat of a pun.**

**Personally, this chapter could both be slightly offensive and extremely hilarious, depending on the reader. The first part is more serious, however.**

**If I owned Naruto, do you really think I'd be working my butt off to complete these homework assignments? No, I'd be paying someone to do them for me.**

**Please review!**

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Chapter 11

Revealing encounters and Incense Holders

It was a tiring day for Sasuke.

His father was being the usual asshole, his friends were being the usual morons, and his relatives were being the usual Itachi worshippers. Their God was himself nowhere to be seen, back from his mission several hours ago, _without_ having come to see his irate younger brother. That hyper blond puppy Sasuke called a best friend was currently somewhere in his familial grounds, exclaiming and shouting over everything, even if it was something he had seen every day for _years_. In addition, his very own #1 stalker was somewhere in the vicinity.

Sasuke was in no mood to see Sakura – he was hiding from her, in fact. There was to be a small celebration-reunion type of thing for all the members of his Academy class who had graduated together, and Sakura was adamant on making him her date. Not only her – almost every female in Konoha who was single, and also some who weren't. All of which led to an irritable, out-of-breath Sasuke, along with several furious husbands and boyfriends. Not to mention fathers.

He was currently taking a short stroll around the Uchiha pleasure gardens. They had been his favorite place as a child, and that had not changed as he grew up. The expression on his face was thoughtful, similar to a prince when he is contemplating the delicate affairs that plague his state, or a Kage whose shoulders have become accustomed to heavy responsibilities.

The young man's mind, sadly, was not on the same level, as a merry giggle followed by whispered exhortations drew his attention. Sasuke didn't have to look far to know that in addition to housing peacocks and other exotic wildlife, his treasured refuge was now treated as a make-out spot by younger Uchiha clan members. Being well-educated in courtly upbringing, he regarded the display with disdain. His cousins had obviously misinterpreted the definition of 'pleasure-gardens' from '_a place where one may find pleasure due to the presence of natural flora, fauna, etc_.' to _'a perfect place to find pleasure with members of the opposite sex without the cumbersome deal of parents or other elderly relatives hanging around._'

After witnessing the seventh couple snogging, he was forced to leave in disgust. Or at least that was what he pretended. Truth was, the sight of those overly-hormonal teenagers was inspiring in him images of himself and a certain white-eyed ex-heiress…

Enough. Stop right now. Thou shall not kill. Thou shall not covet. Thou shall not think about pretty kuniochi whom thou trains every morning, and how the sun looks on her flushed cheeks. Thou shall not think about other kuniochi at all.

"Sasuke-kun!"

A futile thought. From ahead Sakura approached, waving her arms furiously just like the stupid idiots in those manga Shisui was always reading. Her face was flushed, much as Hinata's appeared every morning, but the difference between the two was comical. While his student's looked like sun-kissed apples (a.k.a. very pretty), Sakura looked like a giant red boar had collided with her to form a new entity (Pumba the Warthog with pink hair. Which equaled hideous.)

He turned and attempted to walk in the opposite direction, hoping that his pursuer wouldn't catch him, but it was too late – with speed only inspired when a woman sees a man she is chasing after, Sakura made a giant leap straight onto Sasuke's back.

The dark-haired moody Uchiha lurched forward from the weight and strength of Tsunade's heir, teeth clenching as his spine nearly snapped. The phrase 'Love can kill' had never been more true than right then.

The squealing girl was too enthralled to notice how she had nearly crippled him. Sakura buried her candied hair into Sasuke's marble neck, inhaling the subtle cologne that he was wearing with a great sniff of pure pleasure. Money really did buy the best. Resurfacing from her scent-induced trance, she let out a breathy little giggle near Sasuke's ear – annoying him to no end – and sweetly chirped, "Where did'ja get your perfume, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke had had enough.

He promptly dumped the infatuated strawberry on her butt – eliciting a loud and rude curse – and then turned around, fury seething from every pore. Weeks of being chased by all the females in Konoha, coupled with his brother's absence and seeing a pair of lips every day he would very much like to kiss but _couldn't _had coupled to leave previously unknown levels of wrath inside him, and his rage had finally found someone to vent on. With all the righteous anger of a wronged Greek god/ hormonal male teenager he drew himself up to his full height, and let verbal punishment fall upon the poor victim who trembled in fear before him.

"First off," he bit out, sparing a seething glance for the cowering pink maiden, "It is not _perfume._I don't apply _perfume_, understand? _You _apply perfume – _I _apply cologne. It's damn expensive, and you practically rape all of it from my neck every freaking day, so don't _ever _call it perfume!"

Sasuke took a deep breath and continued, his fury rising even higher. "Second, obviously _you _don't realize this, but every time you run around here like a bloody chimpanzee, you make yourself even more of a laughing stock to my family. I don't give a damn about it, because you're next to nothing to me, but if you have a shred of self-respect, then you'll refrain from making a complete fool of yourself. Even Naruto cuts a better figure then you do. At least _he _has some control, and he's damn more talented and accomplished than _you _could ever be!"

"Thirdly, if you ever try to throw yourself at me again, then I swear to God, I will teach you the meaning of pain! I don't suppose you realize how much your painted nails, chemically whitened teeth and padded bust offend me, but rest assured, I'll clear up all doubts for you. _You _repulse me, Sakura, more than anything you can ever imagine!"

His blood was up. Nothing could stop him now, not the looks he was getting from the other teens in the area, or the clear and honest pain carved in Sakura's face. He was settled in his course and not about to stop until he had said his fill.

"I have never liked you, and I never will, not if you continue this ridiculous game of cat and mouse. You are not attractive to me, so stop pretending like you are. Stop trying to ensnare me! Go train and try becoming a better ninja then the pathetic one you are now. You _suck_, Sakura, and I'm not exaggerating! You can't even go up against one opponent on your own – Naruto and I have to help you. You are far too dependent on both of us. You may think that you're all that just because you're Tsunade-sama's pupil, but I can remind you, again and again if necessary_, _that you are nothing more than a worthless loser, and you will never be anything more! You will always need someone to protect you, you will never become anything on your own, and you will _certainly NEVER _be attractive to me! So for God's sake, stop trying to primp yourself, and stop coming up with worthless strategies to make me fall in love with you, and instead make something of yourself!"

Sasuke regretted the tirade the moment he had stopped. Most of the things he had said were extremely harsh, and not true. Sakura was a worthy shinobi, more so than many others in the village. He hadn't meant to say anything like that, but his tongue had betrayed him, and he had gone on and on mouthing off until it was so absolutely untrue that even he was shocked at himself.

She sat on the ground before him, jaws slack and eyes swimming with tears. The look on her face was not one that he would forget, ever. It was made of complete despair and shock, that of a person who has been betrayed, and it tore his heart apart to see someone he really did care about be so utterly hurt as a result of his actions.

"Sakura," he started to speak, at a loss for words and searching frantically for some that would indicate exactly how sorry he was. "Sakura, I'm -"

A loud _thwack _echoed around the Uchiha pleasure gardens as Sakura slapped Sasuke.

Clutching his red cheek, he looked at her with shock. To think that Sakura, _Sakura _of all people, had actually _slapped _him – the notion was almost inconceivable.

The young woman was standing up now, flushed and angry, ugly red blotches appearing all over her screwed-up cheeks. Tears were leaking from her eyes despite a valiant effort to keep them at bay, and her face was twisted into an expression of rage he had never seen before. Hiccupping pathetically, she managed to say, "Sh-shut up. You arrogant _pig! _Shut the _hell up!_"

"You don't know anything about me," Sakura gasped, taking trembling breaths and wiping savagely at her eyes. "You never have. You never appreciate me, or how much I care for you, because you're too freaking busy looking in the mirror admiring yourself to notice what's going on around you! You keep on complaining about how everyone treats your brother better, about how everyone respects and likes Itachi. Well, I've got news for you!"

She took a deep breath, and then screamed with all her might. "_He is better than you! _Did you never stop to consider that? If you were a millionth of how good your brother is, then these people would be worshipping your footprints too! Instead of envying him, how about you try and become as _good_ as him? Wait, scratch that, because you never can! You will never be as compassionate and kind as Itachi is. He doesn't show much emotion, but it's not because he's trying to look cool or scary – it's because he really can't express them, because he believes that's one of the factors it takes to be a good shinobi!"

While the other couples trickled out of the garden in embarrassment, Sakura continued on her furious tirade, words spewing from her mouth like acid. "You keep on whining about how nobody ever notices you – maybe that's because you're not worth noticing! Itachi is good and kind and honourable and brave – you can't expect to receive the same treatment as him when you don't even compare! Itachi has a kind heart – he cares about you a lot. He would do anything to protect you, but all you do is complain! Maybe you should stop mouthing off and perhaps take notice of exactly _how much_ he's done for you!"

"And Naruto! You keep on scorning him, but the truth is, if you fought right now, then you would lose, wouldn't you, Sasuke? Naruto has saved your butt so many times, but all you do is degrade him and treat him like dirt. Have you ever considered how much you owe that guy? You ought to be worshipping the ground he walks on! Naruto has never done anything for you to treat him the way you do, but no, you'll continue to be a bastard anyway! You're not fit to see his face, let alone insult him!"

They were alone now. Sasuke bore her fury with amazement. Never had he thought Sakura would be able to cut so deeply to the heart of his insecurities. The mere idea itself would have been enough to leave him tongue-tied. Did she really know him this well?

If she noticed how deeply her words were affecting him, his accuser didn't let it daunt her ire, but proceeded apace. "Kakashi-sensei! He loves you like you're his own son, but you don't give a damn about that, do you? He's the one who trained you to get this far, but you will never appreciate that, will you? Without him, you would be worse off than the lowest bums in town! He's the one who taught you everything you know when your bloody sharingan-possessing _father _didn't, he's the one who took you to the hospital when you were hurt, and he's the one who saved your life more times than you can count! But still you treat him like he's a nuisance instead of someone whom you are eternally indebted to? He's your teacher, for God's sake!"

"You don't have the right to tell me what to do when you yourself are so pathetic," the green-eyed girl snarled forcefully. "You don't even begin to compare. You go around pretending that you are the world's most important person, like everyone else is shit, but you know what, Sasuke? _You _are shit. You're not worthy of the love that I feel for you. And you know that's true. Yes, I'll admit it. I love you, Sasuke, but even if you fell to my feet and begged me right now, you wouldn't be worthy of it. I fell in love with the man that you _could _be, if you only wanted to, but now I realize that you're nothing more than a vain, proud peacock who struts around scratching for compliments."

It didn't escape his notice that those very birds were the only spectators to this ultra-powerful tongue-lashing. The Uchiha heir would have laughed were he watching such a display happen to someone else. As things stood he could do nothing but stand there mutely until it was all over.

For her part, his longtime admirer seemed to be running out of steam, her voice fading to a whisper, whether from the effort or the strain of her own emotions was not clear. "You can call me whatever you like, but with every word that leaves your lips, remember that you're twice as bad as me. Reflect on that. You're not worthy of the love that Naruto, Kakashi-sensei, and I give you, Sasuke. You're not even worthy of the love that your brother showers you with, because instead of appreciating it, all you do is take it all and give nothing back."

Her shoulders sagged, and she looked ready to cave in on herself. Before he could even think of moving to help her, abruptly she reached a hand forth and shoved him hard, enough to send him staggering back a few feet.

"Even worse, when you do give back the only thing we get is scorn, as if our love isn't enough for you, as if you look down upon it! With every such instance, Sasuke, you demean the love that we feel for you. You can continue to do so – we'll still love you anyway. But understand this – whenever you scorn our feelings, our love for you shrinks just a tiny, infinitesimal bit. It doesn't seem to matter much, but rest assured, one day it will fade away completely, and then you will be left a lonely, pathetic man who hides his talons not because he is confident, but for the simple reason that he doesn't have any! And there will be no one to protect you then."

Sakura turned and walked away, somehow holding herself straighter than she was a moment earlier. The loss of this burden, one that had been growing inside of her for years, had left her feeling light and airy. It was painful, but she had finally come to terms with the truth. She would not stop loving Sasuke-kun – far from it – but at least now she had seen him for what he truly was. All she could do was hope that he would see the light and improve himself – try to become the man that he could be, the one whose illusion she had fallen in love with.

And until he did, she would be right here beside him. Just not as delusional as she was before.(You know what's a good song to listen to while reading this? 'Unpretty', by TLC)

Sasuke was shocked. The force of Sakura's words still rang in his mind. Unlike his own, hers hit straight to their mark. Every syllable that had come out of her mouth had shamed him with the realization that it was true. He really was a strutting peacock. He had never paid any attention to the ones that loved him.

The stunned shinobi all but collapsed on a bench as he contemplated her accusations over and over again. Itachi – it was true that his family members and the villagers hero-worshipped his brother, but wasn't that well deserved? Itachi was their country's best shinobi, hands down, and had performed many missions that had been deemed impossible by others. If it weren't for him, there would be a lot more threats to Konoha than there currently were. Itachi deserved every word spoken in his favor. Plus, his older brother had never shown anything but kindness to him. Everything Sasuke had ever asked for had been delivered to him without a single demand in return. Itachi had loved him unconditionally, even when he didn't deserve it.

Naruto – it was true that he owed his life to the dobe a hundred times over, but his attitude had never been meant to hurt him. Yes, he had often spoken rudely to the exuberant fool, but that had been friendly ribbing between best friends, not all-out battles between enemies. It was their own way of showing how much they cared for each other. But perhaps he had been taking him for granted – after all, when had he ever helped Naruto with anything? He had never even encouraged him.

Kakashi-sensei – Sasuke wouldn't even comment on that. He had shamelessly exploited and exhausted his teacher, and never bothered with a kind word to help him out. He had taken him for granted, and disregarded the fact that the older man was a gift, not a given. If anything, it was Kakashi-sensei whom he had wronged the most. His attitude had been absolutely unacceptable, and he shuddered to think of how his mother would have reacted had she known how he behaved.

Sakura.

This topic was the hardest to make up his mind up on. It was true that she annoyed him more than anything else, but it was she who had healed him all these times, who had supported him through any decision that he made. Without Sakura… he would be lost. She was a pillar of support, one that he desperately needed. But he wasn't romantically interested in her, and would never be. She was a friend, one who often annoyed him, but was necessary for him to be who he was. At best, all she would ever be was a pseudo-sister.

It began to rain, fat droplets hitting the lusting earth, being soaked up greedily by the warm brown soil. They trickled down his ivory skin, seeping through his clothes. Sasuke didn't move. He had just had the revelation of how pathetic a person he really was.

He sat motionless on the bench, and if someone had observed him carefully they might have noticed little tracks of liquid falling from his eyes along with the rain. He would have denied it later, of course. For all the good that would do.

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto was excited.

It was a general state of being for him. He would calm down, and then something would arouse his interest once more. If someone was unconditionally fond of him, or an Inuzuka, they would have compared his behavior with that of a small puppy, unfailingly excited by the goings-on of life, and just ecstatic to be alive. He had that same childlike innocence.

Currently he was sniffing around the houses of some of Sasuke's distant cousins. Sure, he had seen them a thousand times before, but something always changed, and he liked to reacquaint himself both with his surroundings as well as the welcoming people who adored him. The Uchiha had never been as shunning as the rest of the village, perhaps due to the fact that they themselves were both revered and hated.

Today, he had played with three little girls, shown a group of young, dark-eyed boys how to throw an accurate kunai, and helped an old woman take down her washing before it started raining. All three groups had smiled and thanked him.

It wasn't so much for the fame or glory that he was doing it as for the adoring smiles. Others might take them for granted, but Naruto was making up for a severe shortage of them in his life, having had no family who would love him without a single piece of resistance. And to have such bright, loving smiles gracing his day made him little short of euphoric.

Now the eager youth was walking along one of the main corridors in the enormous Uchiha compound, smiling merrily at all passersby and being graced with welcoming smiles in return, when he heard a loud, shrill scream echo all over the place.

Naruto immediately sprang into action, shinobi instincts urging him towards the main Uchiha house, where the Head of the Clan and his family lived. He was intimately acquainted with it, as this was Sasuke's home and he had been wandering around this place ever since they had been put into the same team.

The scream, which was distinctly feminine, had definitely come from the rear of the house, where Itachi's quarters were present. Adding chakra into his feet, Naruto spurred himself to run faster. Someone was in danger, and Uzumaki Naruto worked best when there was a girl to be saved. He had something, just a bit, of a hero complex, even if he didn't realize it.

Outside Itachi's set of quarters, a large crowd of Uchiha had gathered, all looking inside curiously but none daring to enter. If he had been any ordinary man, or even shinobi, he might have hesitated before attempting to invade the private dwelling of the single most dangerous person in Konoha (after Tsunade, and perhaps Jiraiya even though he didn't act like it, of course). But as it was, he was Uzumaki Naruto, which, depending on whatever circle you revolved in, was synonymous with the words courage, bravery, fool, idiot, awesome, or complete and utter moron, etc. etc.

He sped through the long hallways, darting by the rain-streaked windows. If he had been capable of thinking of more than one thing at once, he might have reflected upon the amount of space that the elder Uchiha brother got to claim as his own compared to Naruto's crappy apartment, but he had a single-track mind. He could only concentrate on one task at a time, and right now that was to figure out exactly who had screamed, why they had screamed, and rescue them if necessary. The hero complex was kicking into action.

The corridors were all silent, and the boy ran past scores of rooms until a commotion sounded from behind one of the paper-screen doors. Narrowing his eyes, he sped towards the location, dramatically flinging it wide just like the heroes in those action manga when they went to rescue the heroine.

Inside was a scene of complete pandemonium. Itachi-san stumbled drunkenly around the room, shirtless and wearing only a pair of black ANBU pants while a wizened old woman let out bursts of rude speech in a screechy voice, spewing obscenities and insults in turn while repeatedly hitting Sasuke's brother with a heavy-looking iron pan from atop his shoulders.

In the center of the spacious room, Hyuuga Hinata lay flung back on a mattress, a slightly dazed and terrified look on her face, wearing a very pretty and expensive-looking kimono, obi slightly undone and lipstick heavily smudged. The expression on her face couldn't easily be defined, but looked like a mixture of terrified fear and outrage. She was struggling to pull the loose ends of her kimono together. Naruto was sure that if he was standing in the right spot, he would get a very nice view, but unfortunately, his position in the room was such that he was regrettably unable to feast his eyes upon the exposed sight.

The old woman was screaming, spittle flying from her mouth as she brought down the heavy weapon – Naruto now recognized it as one of those old-fashioned incense holders – on poor Itachi's head again and again. The village's golden boy was clutching the large bruises formed on his cranium by said pan/incense holder, somehow managing not to beat up or kill the old lady. His attacker was screaming unintelligibly, with a few words like 'disgrace', 'shame', 'Hyuuga heiress', 'hormonal idiot', and 'kill' escaping through. Naruto couldn't make heads or tails of whatever she was saying.

There was a swooshing sound from behind. The Uchiha control guards had arrived. Village-trained, they worked to maintain peace and order in the Uchiha district, their own homes. Clad in standard police uniform, their dark eyes were wide. All stared at the scene in silent horror, and then everyone began speaking loudly at once.

"Maiko, bring reinforcements immediately! We need…"

"Tsuzunume, help Lady Hinata! Somebody control…"

"Miyanami-sama, please stop hitting Itachi-sama! You may seriously injure him!"

"Filthy scoundrel! You have *thump* disgraced *thump* the Uchiha!" *THUMP*

"Somebody get a paramedic for Itachi-sama!"

"Hikari, I can't get Lady Hinata's obi to close! Please…"

"Itachi-sama looks so hot without a shirt. He should stay like that more often…"

"You know, maybe you don't need to close that obi just yet, Tsuzunume. Not with that view…"

"Miyanami-sama, you may injure yourself! Please stop!"

"Let it go, Kazuo. If that old bitch buys it, it'll be for the best anyway."

"Hikari! How can you say such a thing? Don't you know that the foremost rule in the Uchiha Conduct Rulebook is 'Respect the Elders'?"

"I thought the first rule was, 'Porn is best read in private'?'"

"Well, yes, but…"

"Are you two seriously discussing the Uchiha Conduct Rulebook?"

"Ooh, ooh, which one? The revised version or the old one? Personally, I'm partial to the old one myself, the illustrations are more graphic and…"

"This kimono is made out of really expensive material. I wonder how much it cost?"

"Hinata-sama, just hold on one second! I'll get reinforcements to help you out! Hikari!"

"Itachi-sama's ANBU tattoo is sooooooooooo hot…"

"You reckon if I take pictures of this those fangirls would give me some good money?"

"I'd use them for blackmail."

"And you'd both die. You seriously think you can get away with blackmailing Itachi-sama, or selling half-naked pictures of him for that matter?"

"I LOVE RAMEN I LOVE RAMEN I LOVE RAMEN I LOVE RAMEN I LOVE RAMEN…"

Everyone knew who this was.

There was a loud crackling sound. One of the incense sticks lying inside the holder had ignited and dropped down into Itachi's hair, setting it on fire.

"Eep!" Hinata fainted.


	12. Of Unpleasant Explanations

**Hello there, all the wonderful people who are still taking the time to read this!**

**(And by this, I mean the story, not the Author's notes)**

**A couple of announcements. I have posted a new story called Memories of a Death Eater. I understand that many people will be offended by it, because it isn't a very Canon pairing, but if you are interested, then please check it out. It's a Harry Potter fanfic, and it centers on the pairing of Bellatrix Lestrange and Sirius Black.**

**Secondly, Quid Pro Quo is, as of this moment, on hold. I understand that I have a bad tendency to start stories and then suddenly stop writing them, but I am trying to concentrate on Marriage of Convenience for now. When it is finished (and I assure you, that will not be anytime soon), then I will shift my sights to all the others languishing in my account. Which includes any other stories that I may have published in the past, and will publish and possibly temporarily abandon in the future.**

**Thirdly, I am going through a major fanfic-hippie phase, and have just decided to go wherever the pen, or, in this case, the keys, take me. I am writing stuff, in the last two chapters and this one, that completely deviate from the normal plotline that I had visualised in my head, and I request my readers to be patient with me. I may drastically change the plot again, but I assure you I will continue with this story.**

**Fourthly, I am going to warn you that because of these drastic plot changes, my muse may stop working any time, and the plot draft I had written out is already ineligible to compensate, so I am liable to stop this story suddenly. I will try to continue with it for as long as possible, though.**

**Fifthly, yes, I realise that this is a long Author's note, and I will bow out and let you read your chapter immediately after a short announcement. I understand that this chapter may seem like filler to a lot of people, but I assure you, that's just because I am trying to get back on my feet after the sudden change in direction, and I would like for the viewers to hear what _really _happened in the last chapter from an impartial person who knows all the facts, before and after the incident. **

**Anyway, read and enjoy the chapter. I look forward to hearing your comments on this crazy one.**

**~conorlover~**

* * *

Chapter 12

Of unpleasant explanations

Neji stared in disbelief at the two impassive Uchihas who stood in front of him.

Beside him, Hanabi's expression was much the same.

"So let me get this straight," she slowly drawled, her trademark 'I'm-a-Hyuuga-and-you-better-be-piss-scared-of-me' accent coming out with a venegeance. "Uchiha Itachi supposedly stripped in front of my sister, attacked her, ripped apart her kimono, and then passed out?"

"S-s-s-s-somewhat l-like that, yes," the elder of the two, who was dressed remarkably like Ebisu, managed to stammer out while wiping the sweat from his forehead. Looked like the Hyuuga accent was working. "Itachi-sama didn't actually just pass out – he was helped along by some, uh… injuries sustained during his, uh… antics."

The other was bobbing his head up and down vigorously. "Yes! I'm afraid Itachi-sama sustained some injuries while this little escapade, but we can assure you that there will be no long-lasting effects, and he will be up and kicking in no time!"

"Shut up," Hanabi snarled. The two men cowered back. It really would have been extremely amusing to see two grown shinobi tremble before an eleven year old girl if it wasn't so damn scary. "Do you think I'm gonna let that molester near my sister ever again? No way, mister!"

"Hanabi-sama!" one of the escorts from the Main House that Hiashi has insisted accompany Hanabi exclaimed, looking scandalized. "Please, control your tongue! This kind of language is not acceptable in the House of the Hyuuga!"

"I don't understand, Uchiha-san," one of the other escorts politely articulated. Diplomacy was very important in these crucial times. "Could you please explain it again, from the beginning?"

"Itachi-sama had a mission with Hatake Kakashi-san," the other escort began, licking his lips nervously. "He was supposed to meet Hyuuga-san after that. Unfortunately it seems that he got a bit drunk – there was alcohol in his blood test – and apparently, uh, attempted to become more _intimate _with Hyuuga-san, if you know what I mean."

"And then their chaperone, Miyanami-sama, got a bit, uh, angered, and, uh, started teaching Itachi-sama some, in her own words, 'manners'."

"So I'm afraid that Itachi-sama is currently in the hospital working off his hangover and nursing several head injuries. Sakura-san from the hospital assures me that he will be fine in no time, though, so there's nothing to worry about…"

"Yes! And we hope that Hyuuga-san will recover from her little fainting fit soon and be able to resume her duties as the Daughter of One of the Great Clans, and as the Fiancée of One of the Great Clans' Sons, Itachi-sama."

Hanabi was practically seething with fury now, but somehow managed to control herself. As much as she could be controlled, anyway. "You want _my _sister to meet _your _stupid, sexually frustrated heir again? For what? So that she can get assaulted again? The bloody moron fucking tried to tear her obi off!"

"Hanabi-sama! Please control yourself!"

This debacle had been going on since morning. He had calmly been training alone, watching out for birds in the sky and improving his Byakugan's range, when Tenten had come running up, panting and out of breath. She managed to gasp out something about Hinata, hospital, faint, and Uchiha. A normal person would have waited until she was able to speak properly and articulately before making any assumptions, but Neji was not a normal person. He was the prototype of the Dangerous and Worried Shinobi Brother Model, and this factor kicked in the moment the words Hinata, Hospital, and Uchiha were said. He set of at a run towards the hospital, running over God know's how many people in his haste to get to his little sister, and then, when he finally got there, he found the way barred by at least fifteen Uchiha clansmen.

If there hadn't been timely intervention in the pissed-off form of Hanabi, Neji would most likely have been facing charges for unprovoked murder of fifteen Uchihas right now, but fortunately for him, at that exact moment his other younger sister chose to appear, her normally grim face looking even more grim. That woman could give Death a run for his money. She had walked right between all those humongously tall barbarians and come to a stop right in front of Neji, grabbing his sleeve and dragging him somewhere where there were no Uchihas for him to murder, before explaining what she knew about Hinata.

Apparently, Itachi had attacked Hinata-sama and caused her to faint, while simultaneously somehow managing to get several bruises on his head and managing to burn his hair. Neji was still feeling murderously angry towards the Uchiha heir, but his intent to kill had been somewhat diminished after hearing about the loss of his hair. As a long-haired person himself, who took hair-care very seriously (he had twelve different types of shampoo and conditioner), the loss of one's hair had been a loss he was intimately acquainted with. A freak mission with four other shinobi chasing a rogue medical patient had led him to be severely injured when he was thirteen, and Hokage-sama had been forced to utilize his hair to heal him.

He never would fully forgive her for that. Looking into the mirror and seeing a bob was one image he could do without. It would almost have been better if she had taken his 'most important thing that characterized him being a male' instead.

Neji very firmly believed that usage of graphic terms, even in his own head, was an offence best not committed.

He even more firmly believed that the Hokage had stolen some of his lovely hair to make a wig for herself. After all, a women nearing sixty couldn't possibly have that much hair, could she? Plus, his own hair was well-conditioned and shiny, and could easily be dyed…

Why was he thinking about conditioner when his little sister was lying insensible in a hospital room?

Although she could use better conditioner. Hinata had lovely hair, but it was wasted with that herbal thing she used. Maybe when she woke up, he's advise her to change to the new one that Jiraiya-sama had brought with him from the tropics. It smelled very nice, like roses, and it made your hair just oh so soft and shiny…

Focus, Hyuuga. You are not going to let these irresponsible… _men_... get away with whatever they want! Even if the guy did lose his hair. Terrible.

When Sasuke rushed to the hospital, the scene was slightly different from his expectations.

Instead of somber men and women in black, mourning his brother's injuries, there were people running helter-skelter everywhere. He saw some of the Uchiha task force looking severely harassed with a ramen-loving idiot in between them (what the hell was that dobe doing here anyway?) and that short Hyuuga, what was her name?, with Hinata's older brother, seemingly arguing (aka scaring the shit out of) some other members of the Uchiha clan (what the hell did the Hyuuga have to do with this?).

Averting his eyes from the impending disaster, he searched the room for a familiar, safe, and sympathizing face, which he found in the form of a weary-looking Shisui Uchiha, slouched against a chair.

Said young man looked up as Sasuke drew near him and smiled wearily, looking as though he had been through a lot. Sasuke cautiously approached him, and then sat down on an adjacent chair. Both men remained silent for a moment, and then Sasuke asked with a lump in his throat "How is he?"

Shisui sighed. "He's okay. Tsunade's just checking him up as we speak. He'll have a few scars, and his ego is completely shattered, but he's gonna be alright."

Sasuke thre his head back, relieved. "Thank God! I was afraid for him, for a moment. When that little guy came running up to me with the news, I just bolted here as fast as I could. I still can't believe that _Itachi _of all people could be ambushed by Cloud ninjas, you know?"

Shisui looked at him strangely. "What are you talking about? Cloud ninjas?"

Sasuke looked at him in a bewildered manner. "The ones who attacked Itachi as he was returning from his mission. He could have taken them all, but apparently he was taken by surprise. That's the reason he's in there."

Sasuke wasn't used to seeing a traffic light on a person's face.

Shisui seemed to be the impersonation remarkably well, although in a different manner. Expressions seemed to be the order of the day.

His face flashed confusion and a questioning look before rapidly transforming into a look of complete understanding, and then morphed into a mixture of horror and amusement.

Then he tried to control his give-away feature.

Itachi would have been ashamed of him. His elder brother always had advocated that a blank, emotionless face was the best way not to give your enemy any sort of a hint.

Not that Shisui was his enemy. No, he was just his elder brother's best friends, who had been around since his childhood, and who, if he didn't give some answers soon, would be missing some teeth vital for making ladies' swoon.

"What?" Sasuke snapped, more from reflex than anything. He did not appreciate being mocked or humiliated in any way, and Shisui's rapidly forming pity-cum-laughter did not suit his temperament. His brother's… situation, Sasuke refused to call it anything else until he knew all the facts… had also left him slightly jumpy and irritable.

Shisui was looking at him with a mixture of wonder, understanding and pity on his face, and it was pissing the hell out of Sasuke. "They didn't tell you anything, did they? Or maybe you got it from the rumour mills?" he trailed of wonderingly.

There would be one less Uchiha in Konoha if Shisui didn't start explaining, _fast. _"What the hell are you yapping about."

Even thought he was clearly pushing it, Shisui was a smart man. Years of hanging around an emotionless, but potentially explosive Itachi had taught him that there were some situations where it was better not to prolong the explanation. Mocking could be done later. _Would _be done later – but if only you escaped with your life, and the look on Sasuke's face right now made him seriously doubt the possibility that he would die an old man. Evaluating his immediate options, he regretfully concluded that he would have to cut his fun short and hurriedly try to explain to Sasuke how precariously wrong he was.

"Sasuke," he said carefully. Better safe than sorry. "I'm afraid that some of the facts that they – or whoever – gave you, are wrong."

Sasuke looked like statue. No movement at all. Like a marble replica of a murderous younger brother. Who several nurses were drooling and giggling over.

Shisui continued. "You see, when Itachi got back from his mission, it appears that he and Kakashi-san went out for a drink. And apparently the Copycat Ninja is indeed unaware of Itachi's low tolerance for alcohol."

Okay, he was beginning to get scared now. Couldn't Sasuke move away those dead eyes for a _second_?

"And so he went back to meet with Hinata-san, and I guess Pervert Kakashi told him some stuff, and just got in his head, y'know, and then he, um, might have _attacked _Hinata-san, but not really _attacked_, just kinda… _assaulted_, even though it wasn't an assault at all. My guess is, he's been frozen for so long that I guess he just wanted some physical contact, y'know, and then he just saw this hot girl sitting demurely waiting for him in this secluded room, jus' like in the movies, and then bam! His hormones, they go all crazy, man, and he just forgets everything and thinks 'well, it's time to show some skin, y'all', coz' he got some mean abs, I mean, seriously nasty ones, like nice, warm banana toast. So he rips his shirt off, all macho like, and then gets it down and busy with the little woman."

It was fortunate that Shisui was so caught up in retelling his story that he momentarily forgot about Sasuke's expression, because if he had, then he would have seen the caring and repentant younger brother morph into a dragon breathing the fire of rage, jealousy, anger, and betrayal.

"So, 'nyway," Shisui continued to ramble on, impervious to his surroundings and greatly enjoying himself. "He exposes those meat-eaters, and then decides that the little woman ain't showing 'nough skin, y'know what I'm saying? I mean, damn, all these hot high-class chicks, they got it all and ain't afraid to give a man a little show, y'know, but this one, she's different. Never seen her with more than five inches of skin showing, max, and that's a pity if I ever saw one. I mean, it's elegant and all, and it suits her to boot, but I fell kinda bad for Itachi and every male who ever found her hot. It's a real waste of a good show, I'm tellin' ya. So Itachi gets frustrated, no fault of his, old chap, and decides that enough is enough, he and his fiancée have to get a little thing going before they both explode, y'know?

"Only thing is, old chap didn't count on the fact that she's shy. So, anyway, he gets to the part where he gets the front of her robe open, and then, little missy freaks out and screams. Loudly.

"Now, y'know how all those prissy elders insisted that they take an escort with them, right? Kinda like a person to supervise them, and all? Yeah, it's a real turn off for a guy to have this old weirdo sitting in the corner acting all prissy and proper, but what Itachi got – it was a drag, man. I mean, the guy has some serious bad luck. He got that old hag, Miyanami. Y'know, the one that always goes on and on about clan ethics and morality, and how today's generation have failed, and how amazing she is, blah blah blah. So, Itachi had to bear with that old geezer barking at him at all hours of the day, even when he wanted to appear cool to impress his lady, y'know? So, being inebriated like he was, courtesy of the Copycat Pervert, he completely forgot that old hag – like anyone remembers her, anyway – and proceeded to make his intentions known to the lovely Ms. Hyuuga.

"Turns out, it's a bad idea. Miyanami sees that and completely loses it. She's never liked Itachi anyway – she thinks that her brother should have become clan leader instead of Fugaku-sama, even though your Dad beat him fair and square. Plus, there was that thing with your Mom and all. She thinks Itachi's a mental case, and well, seeing him jump on that poor girl like that just strengthened her beliefs, I guess. She went bazookas. She always was sour at your family, and this must have just sent her over the edge. Y'know how she's so eager to get the good books of the Hokage. She must've thought that Itachi's little indiscretion could make the Hyuugas back out of the whole bloody thing over here.

"Anyway, going bonkers, she picked up the first thing she could see, which, by the way, was one of those heavy, old incense-holders. Itachi's not really a big fan, but your Ma loved them, so he sticks with it. Turned against him now, though. Being rather preoccupied as he was, drunk and with a pretty girl no less, he fails to notice Dracula's ugly Ma standing behind him. Miya-whammy goes 'whammy' and all Tarzan, and converts into the hyena she is, using that heavy old thing to beat Itachi up. I think her mind finally gave in, what after watching everybody treat her less than the princess she thinks she is. So Granny goes whamma-slamma, and then your friend, that weird blond over there, magically appears on the scene. I think he was way too surprised t'do anything, honest. I mean, when I got there, only thing I could think of was 'shit! Itachi's losin' a lotta blood', and 'Miyanami's one crazy old coot!' and 'that girl really was hiding somethin' behind all those heavy robes. Da-a-amn!'. Poor guy must've been so shocked that he wouldn't know what hit him. So he stands there with him mouth going open-close, like a goldfish – good comparison, what with that sunshine hair and all – and then the Uchiha Cleaning Service arrive.

"Y'know, they like to think they're so cool, but truth is, they're just as human as the rest of us. They stood around gaping like a coupl'a mules, and then when they finally got to action, Miyanami-crazy mammy decided that Itachi had had enough, and swung the incense-holder-thingy one las' time to get in a real good hit.

"Unfortunately, the incense-holder missed. Now, when I say unfortunately, you'd think that the unfortunately was for her, right? Wrong. The thing went sailing past his ears, but the incense sticks in the damn thing decided that they were having too much fun to stop, and promptly decided to light themselves – just as they brushed past Itachi's hair.

"Now, your bro, he's really proud of his hair, man. Keeps it shiny and silky, to impress the ladies and all. Uses the best, most expensive products. Well, turns out that for all the shininess they give him, that conditioner got a bad side. Turns your head into a virtual pile of _coals, _man, like aerosol, dude. Itachi's head went up like it was the summer festival already, like a bunch of fireworks _and _a bonfire. By this time, your bro got real crazy. Not only is he _majorly _drunk, but he's also been hit on the head by a crazy banshee, and now that he's real dizzy, his freakin' head's on fire. Sucks, huh? So, anyway, he makes his way over to the dark door of doom, and then goes sailing out, running like a hundred of those Inuzuka hounds are chasin' ya. Quite a sight, I'll tell ya, seeing a drunk, dizzy man running with his head on fire when his hormones are goin' _crazy._ Everyone who saw him took quite a hit.

Anyway, ANBU had to be called in, and by the time they got him calmed down, most of his hair was gone anyway. He's gonna be real upset about that when he wakes up, but I'm not the one who's gonna be telling him, and, for once, I am absolutely NOT involved in anythin' that went on in that madhouse out there. So some of the clan's guys cart him over here, where Shizune takes one look at him, and carts him straight into that Emergency Room. We're still waitin' for the response."

Shisui finally finished his story, looking mighty pleased with himself. He, for one, was fond of telling an amusing story now and then, and he could sense a hit in the making. This one was going on for _years._

His feeling of self-satisfaction faded as soon as he looked at the person beside him. From a statue, Sasuke had turned into a thundercloud. His face radiated negative energy and thoughts, and Shisui felt sure that if he stayed here for a second more, he was going to become charcoal. No, thanks.

"Well," he said, breaking out into a nervous sweat, his hands beginning to fiddle nervously with his fingers. "I suppose I'd better, uh, get going. Somebody's, uh, waiting for me, right over there, by the, uh, dumpster."

Even the smell of a thousand rotten banana peels was better than staying with this furious cloud of wrath that had appeared in front of him. He quickly made his escape. This day _sucked._

Well, not completely. He still had a great story.

* * *

**This chapter was written in a bit of a hurry, and I only had time to spell-check it once, so I am profusely sorry for any spelling/grammatical errors that you may have come across.**

**Also, I realise that this is about a thousand words shorter than where I usually get off, but the point is, again, I am confused and excited by the new pattern and changes in this story, and I am going to flow with it.**

**I am VERY eager to hear all your responses to it. And yes, that is a shameless call for everybody to review, please (smiles and offers cookies).**

**Hoping to hear from you and update soon.**

**~conorlover~**


	13. Of New Faith and Painful Revelations

**This chapter is probably one of the deepest and longest chapters I have ever written, so enjoy.**

**Apart from that, I don't have anything much to say. Naruto isn't mine.**

**Also, in the original version of this chapter, I mentioned that a Tsunade oneshot would be up soon, based on her relationship with Jiraiya and Orochimaru the way its portrayed here. Undoubtedly, its been delayed a bit. I will post an announcement about its release the moment it is published.**

* * *

Chapter 13

Of New Faith and Painful Revelations

Tsunade brooded as she looked into the cup of steaming green tea that quietly promised an inviting break, if only for five minutes, from the current hell that her life had become.

When she was younger, she had never desired such a job. All the young girl had wanted was to quietly live the rest of her life with Dan, looking out for Naoki and occasionally meeting at Ichiraku's to trade old stories with Jiraiya and Orochimaru. She had thought they would become just like the other veterans they saw around town – good-natured, healthy and hearty, living out their lives in peace and quiet.

Instead they had been trapped in a lure of power and lies, manipulated from all sides just so that their strength could be exploited. They had separated. Broken was their promise to always stay together, no matter what. They had betrayed, hurt, and lost the trust of anyone apart from themselves.

Tsunade hadn't lived a happy life for quite a number of years now. Losing Dan and Naoki during the Wars, then finding out about Orochimaru – it had hurt her deeply. Hiding her pain, she had moved to live as a recluse in the other countries, at least as much as possible, taking with her only Dan's niece, and only because he would have liked it. For many years they toured the countryside together, finding remedies for various illnesses, gambling (always losing, but never giving up). They had eventually even adopted a pig –Tsunade had always been of the belief that adopting any animal together was the sign of a deep trust and belief in the relationship with another person.

But still, she had been wary of returning to the village where she had grown up. Her views on it, in fact, were the only cloudy ones. Tsunade remained in a limited form of contact with both her teammates, making it unclear which side she was on. After losing so much in life, she didn't want to definitely estrange another person too, especially one who was so close to her. She preferred to be on the fence, straddling it instead of jumping into either of the gardens that surrounded her, creating a wall between her and the only people she loved forevermore.

Her love for Jiraiya and Orochimaru was equal, always. Jiraiya for her would always symbolize warm, sunny mornings at the pond, met with shiny smiles, half-hearted threats, and pure, passionate kisses followed by innocent declarations of everlasting love. It was a bright, lovely childhood memory, full of beauty and innocence and purity.

In contrast Orochimaru was like a dew-filled night, just before the dawn, when the mist clung to her and embraced her, enriching and enlivening her, coaxing her. It was full of whispered promises and muttered vows, exhilaration and passion, of embraces and words that clung to her, and lips that lingered on hers long after they were gone.

So she had drifted, with only Shizune and the pet pig to live for, roaming from one place to another, searching for new remedies to look young, gambling, and pretending to enjoy life. The truth was that she was miserable, and no one knew that, not even Shizune. She would rather die than let anyone know that she was discontented.

Then happiness had come in two forms – one pure, and the other unashamedly guilty, brought by both of her teammates.

On one end lay the chance to govern her birthplace, the place where she had lived and loved her Dan and Naoki, but also the place where she had lost them, and where she had been twisted and squeezed by the elders to create something for their own vicious benefit. On the other hand this was the chance to see the ones she loved most again, but with a catch – she would forever be the slave of one of her former lovers, at his disposal, to do whatever he wished of her.

On either side lay the hands of men who she had loved with a desperation akin to almost need in the past, and in both lay shiny baubles, gifts and visions of a gilded future that shone with brightness and prosperity. How she wished she could take them both! Life would be so perfect, then, having everything she had ever wanted – her teammates, her little brother, the man she loved, and her beloved village. It would be the end of a long tapestry of unhappiness. Surely, surely after having suffered this much, she had earned a right to live happily?

But even in her delusions, she knew that it could never happen. She could only have half of her dream, only one when she wanted two. Life wasn't fair.

Still, it was offering her one end. She would have the opportunity for at least half of what she had in the days of her youth, when she had been jubilant and filled with joy.

The choice, in the end, was not made by Tsunade, but for her, by a loud, arrogant boy who loved ramen and dreamed of being the next Hokage. His ambition, coupled with his initiative and drive, not to mention his enthusiasm and general love for life had – she would never admit it – inspired her, and for that she adored him. With the heart of a mother that ached from love and affection towards a child that had never existed, she filled it with that little smiling devil, whom she loved as if he were the centre of her universe.

Although she complained about her job a lot, Tsunade had never actually resented or disliked it. Sure, it had estranged her from someone who she had loved and most likely still did, and could only be given to her because of the death of another person she had loved, albeit in a different way. But it had also brought many new smiling faces into her life, and had filled it with honest-to-goodness hard work, laughter, smiles, and a sense of contentment that she had almost forgotten before.

She loved this whole village with all her heart, loved it with the heart of a mother and a patriot, as well as all the people in it; the strong, tight-knit community, the brave smiles they put on, their honesty and trust in one another and her. She treasured them – which was why she had tried to do what was best for them.

Tsunade had no grudge against Hinata. The affection she felt for her was like an aunt would towards her niece, in fact. But she loved her village more, and that was why one person had to be sacrificed for the village's collective well-being.

She knew that Hinata did not love Itachi, and probably never would, but for the common good, so that the village remained safe, they had to be together. They had to produce the ultimate defenders, the unbeatable shield that the village _needed _to survive. Akatsuki was growing stronger every day, and Tsunade wasn't stupid – she knew that if they decided to attack Konoha today, then some serious damage would be caused at the very least. The village needed a new, exclusive line of defenders that would bring about a whole new phase to both its physical strength and morale.

It didn't even have to be Hinata and Itachi. It could be any two random individuals from the Uchiha and the Hyuuga houses respectively, with an acceptable level of power, of course. But the two clans, being their usual pigheaded, power-toting selves, had demanded that the future heads of their respective families be used in the deal, selling both of them off to eagerly anticipate the outcome of a much-needed event.

She had supported the original petition when it had gone through, for medical purposes. Now she was doing it for the good of her village.

So why couldn't other people understand that?

Ever since the commencement of the project, privately named 'Reinforcement through Force' by her, she had faced nothing but difficulties with no sign of progress. First, the Hyuuga had decided to change their intended sacrifice, and had promptly replaced a highly accomplished and trained shinobi with a currently useless if potentially resourceful one, simply because one was better at taijutsu and genjutsu than the other. Next, the meetings that Tsunade had prescribed (she was no fool – she knew that even arranged marriage couples needed to have a small amount of intimacy between them if they were to accomplish their set task, and Hinata, being the shy waif she was, definitely needed to understand and appreciate Itachi more) were violated by an old hag whom Tsunade knew by personal experience to be disappointed in a former love affair and thus taking her fury out on everybody that was young and happy. She remembered an incident where the same old lady had caught her skinny-dipping with a boy at the stream near the Uchiha estate. In fact, if she remembered correctly, Jiraiya had also been present …

But now was no time to be thinking of days long past. It was time to concentrate on the future, and her plans for Konoha's safety.

That wretched old woman had turned this plan moot. Instead of learning to enjoy each others' company, it had become a painful exercise for both Itachi and Hinata to meet together. There was absolutely no progress.

And on top of that, _this._

Tsunade stared at the sheaf of papers on her desk. It was a report pertaining to the activities of two unattached kids, following them, observing them, all compiled by the best shinobi, a man whom even Itachi Uchiha could not trace: Ibiki Morino. And it was precisely because this emotionless man was submitting the report that Tsunade believed what he was saying to be the truth. If anyone else had said so she would have dismissed it as a romantic fantasy of theirs.

But Morino didn't have a romantic bone in his body. All he reported was hard facts. And the result of that lay in several uncoordinated pages of the report he had submitted to Tsunade concerning two individuals.

_...after an interlude of several days, Hyuuga seemed to be working seriously on her training once more, but this time joined by an unexpected visitor: the brother of the other __party __concerned, Uchiha Sasuke. The only previous interaction these two have had while under my watch was when Hyuuga nursed him back to health __after __the brawl between him and Uzumaki. No reports of previous interaction from the locals either. However, he has joined her every day in practice and seems to be _training _her…_

…_the Hyuuga girl and the Uchiha boy are together constantly, even if they do not seem to be aware of each other beforehand. They meet for training __every__day __despite the weather and part soon after, but frequently __encounter one another __at community get-togethers organized by their friends. Nothing but small chit-chat and greetings are exchanged. There seems to be no design in this…_

…_judging by his actions, the Uchiha obviously has an ulterior motive in meeting with the Hyuuga. His interactions with her have now become more personal, and when they come across each other at social gatherings, he makes an effort to spend more time with her, although this feeling does not seem to be reciprocated __on her end__. The girl has loosened up considerably near the boy, but this could be a result of merely being in each other's company while training for service to the Village…_

…_there is no doubt left in my mind that the Uchiha boy has romantic intentions towards his brother's betrothed. Today I have seen him behave in a manner that is most improper with any girl that is already promised to another. His intentions would explain his compulsion to help her improve her form, as well as his renewed efforts to get her to notice him. I have observed his eyes roaming in a rather unseemly fashion while the Hyuuga girl may be in a so-called 'provocative' position, and he seems to be difficult and awkward with his brother, which may be caused by a deeper rift or his guilt and/or resentment towards __Itachi __for being promised to the girl he is attracted to. The former is unlikely as the elder Uchiha behaves cordially and properly with his younger brother and seems to be confused __by __his rather detached behavior…_

…_I highly recommend that the interactions between the __two __in question be limited to a minimum, since the Hyuuga's recent behaviour (eg. __Less __stuttering, no fear for pulling __off __her jacket, more physical contact, etc.) indicate that she is beginning to return his affections, whatsoever they may be, and is potentially compromising the entire operation, even if unconsciously. Behaviour towards __the __elder Uchiha, however, has also changed. From being an impartial viewer, she seems to mentally take the __subject's __side when their chaperone berates him, which could be a sign of improvement in their formerly frosty relationship…_

…_it is now absolutely necessary that interactions between the Hyuuga and the younger Uchiha be forbidden. Today he tried to make a romantic gesture towards the female subject, and, for lack of a better word, they shared a 'moment'. Said 'moment' was interrupted by the Hyuuga running away, and the younger Uchiha promptly took out any sexual and/or relational frustration that he was feeling __on __a nearby tree, being rather vicious in his administrations…_

…_this __relationship is now a highly probably disaster in the carefully cultivated environment between the two betrothed. The younger Uchiha continues to pursue her relentlessly, although I doubt that the naïve Hyuuga realizes this.__She__, too, is unconsciously slipping away from her 'forced' duty (i.e. to marry the elder Uchiha), to the more romantically inclined option of consorting with __his brother__. I now absolutely advocate the idea that their meetings be forbidden and that the frequency of the interactions between the two betrothed increase, perhaps without the chaperone, as it seems to have shown a better result…_

If what Ibiki was saying was true – and Tsunade trusted him – then Sasuke was in love with or at the very least seriously attracted to Hinata.

And Hinata was too, except for the fact that she _didn't know it._

Ibiki was right. This was a disaster. A beautiful, perfectly made up disaster that she would have loved to play with if she had any job but this one.

Tsunade prided herself on being somewhat of a matchmaker, and her job usually gave her premium access to the situations which she would prefer to be supervising. But _this…_this was a nightmare! The girl she was trying to marry off to a well-chosen boy for the greater good of her whole village was instead falling in love with his younger brother!

The most amusing side of the situation was that she would have loved this if it really had happened in a book. To see someone who had been trapped by bonds all their life throw them away and go after their dreams and their heart was a plotline she enjoyed. But her position here was unenviable – she was the evil old crone who was trying to rip the two lovers apart and force the girl to live a miserable life for others' benefit.

But there were no villains here. This wasn't a position for personal advancement. It was for collective gain. Not only for Konoha, but all the Villages eventually. The defeat of Akatsuki would restore the level of prosperity earlier enjoyed by the Valley without any fear of political and civic repression by a dreaded terror group.

The Hokage sighed as she looked down on the report. It was no good. She loved Hinata and Sasuke, but they would have to suffer a heartbreak this time. For the good of the whole Village, Hinata would have to end up with Itachi, making him suffer as well. The village needed a hybrid of the two strongest clans. It really was too bad that Sasuke wasn't a –

Wait a minute.

Duh, Tsunade.

She fumbled frantically through her shinobi files in order to reach the one meant for Team 7. Sasuke was Itachi's younger brother. That meant he was an Uchiha. As Hokage, it was her duty to maintain a file on every single one of the Village's shinobi, which included their personal details, their current status, and a summary of every single mission they had ever completed, along with their total capability level. Team 7's file was one of the thickest, considering the amount of accomplishments individually completed by each of its three highly trained members. Flicking past Naruto and Sakura's, she arrived at the one she really wanted to investigate.

Sasuke Uchiha. Age 17. Began official shinobi training at age 7, joined the ranks of Konoha's shinobi at age 11. Completed well above the average for required missions, fulfilling several A- and B-rank missions. Exhibited above-average power overall, not comparable to teammate Uzumaki, but well beyond any exhibited by shinobi his age. Involved in a fair amount of domestic fights, and a few question marks for some unnecessary people dead during high-profile missions, but that was nothing unusual. Every shinobi had a few black marks against their name. She herself had quite a lot.

Summarizing, he was a talented, above-average shinobi who also possessed dominant Uchiha genes, and the ability to pass them on. He was attracted to Hinata Hyuuga, one of the subjects in an experiment to unify the two clan's powers. Currently, he had not been officially chosen as the paramour necessary for the given experiment, but would work just as well, and perhaps better, what with the natural attraction between the two. It was, in short, a better option than forcing Hinata and Itachi to marry.

Perfect. She had just found the match that nobody would hate her for.

Perhaps some of the luck that had disappeared in her youth had decided to make a reappearance.

* * *

Itachi slowly stirred awake to see a blurry outline, smell the sterilized scent found in hospitals and feel his head throbbing as though it had repeatedly been slammed against the pavement.

None of that worried him right now. What did was the fact that he couldn't remember a single thing about what he had been doing yesterday after his chat with Hatake Kakashi.

He remembered walking through town to a certain destination after agreeing they would have a talk. The older man had assured him that it was strictly to further his knowledge on how to interact with Hinata, and although dubious, Itachi wasn't one to complain. He was the one who had asked for it, after all, and the Copycat Ninja definitely had more information than his own limited arsenal. Plus, he could see no harm in it. So he agreed to go along with his senior to a place where, in Kakashi's own words, they could 'converse privately without a million people listening in, complete with all the material comforts of life.'

This 'private place' had turned out to be a hostess club, and when Itachi had refused to enter the embarrassing place, Hatake insisted that it was absolutely necessary for him to be inside that particular building in order to 'fully exploit the entire potential of the organ I call my brain and devise the most outstanding conceptions that will further a man's emotional and _physical _link with the girl he desires'.

Inside, it had been worse than he could ever have imagined. There were girls everywhere. Admittedly some were in the most conservative kimono and yukata, but others wore the bare minimum required to cover one's body. Previously, he had been of the view that the most forward female he was acquainted with was his brother's friend, the Yamanaka girl, and he had always found her to be personally embarrassing. Itachi was uncertain how anyone could find flashing and exhibiting their body for carnal pleasure attractive, as he himself looked not only for beauty, but also grace and poise. To him, shamelessly displaying yourself was the height of unattractiveness and failure. It was something most of his fangirls were unaware of, and one of the reasons he avoided them like the plague.

The girls sitting in this room could give Yamanaka a run for her money. They were, quite frankly, _undressed. _The amount of clothing they had on was not enough to even appear before your closest family members, let alone in public. There were cubicles along the wall, some open for viewing, and the others covered by curtains. Laughing, squeals, and low, masculine voices could be heard from the covered ones, along with the smell of cigar smoke. From a few the sound of moans was being emitted. The whole place was fashioned in a traditional way, with mattresses and incense, and would have been quite tasteful if it wasn't for the minimally-dressed women lounging around every corner. They made crude noises as Itachi walked by, and gave out suggestive remarks. He felt very dirty; not because he was still sweaty and covered with the mission's filth, but because their casual, uncultured remarks cast a veil of shame and dishonor on him. He wanted to get away from there as fast as possible.

Kakashi was talking to an attractive woman in a light blue-green kimono with a pattern of storks. The woman's eyes fell on Itachi and widened with surprise and shock, before falling to the floor before her as she nodded demurely to whatever his colleague said. Raising them once more to send an inquisitive glance towards Itachi, she promptly beckoned towards two other girls, also dressed in yukata. "Perhaps a little bit more conservative, no?" she said in a hushed voice to Kakashi, glancing back at Itachi and his expression of distaste again.

The girls led them to a small chamber in the far side of the establishment where no one could hear them. Inside, it wasn't so bad. There were elegant, previous-century style mattresses on the floor, along with warm, coconut-colored furniture and a pleasant if slightly strong scent. Their guides left them momentarily, and Kakashi beckoned for Itachi to sit with him.

Their hostesses returned with a pot of steaming green tea – excellent quality, Itachi had to admit – and, after pouring it out for the two men, seated themselves at the side of the table. Close up, Itachi could see that their yukata was rather thin, more suggestively styled than he had previously noticed. It was not quite appropriate for outside company, even though from a distance it appeared to be. It was also fairly tight – when the woman beside him moved he could see the outline and shadow of her body through it. With a shock, he realized that she wasn't wearing any undergarments.

Disgusted, he averted his eyes, unwilling to violate a woman's modesty even tangentially, although she had clearly had that design in mind. The elder of the two, wearing a silky pink yukata, said, "Honored sirs, my name is Mizui, and my companion is Hisa. We will be your attendants today, and will be open to _anything _you would like us to do." Her eyes flickered suggestively towards Itachi, who was still attempting to look away. "Would you like us to get some more tea?"

"What a lovely idea!" Kakashi loudly interrupted. "Mizui-san, Hisa-chan, we are very pleased to have you with us today. It's always good when you can be in the company of two pretty ladies like yourself! However, my companion -" here he snuck a look at Itachi " – and I have some _very _sensitive business to attend to, and we have to, _very _regretfully, request you depart. We'll be able to pour our own drinks, thank you."

The two woman silently stood to leave. Kakashi gaily kissed their hands as they blushed and giggled, while Itachi averted his eyes. No woman would ever be able to say that an Uchiha had violated her dignity.

Kakashi finished bidding the escorts goodbye, and turned to Itachi, looking relieved. "Well, now that that's over and done with," he said, smiling as he pulled out a bottle of saké and two cups from beneath the table. Itachi immediately declined, and the other man looked affronted. "Itachi-san, you know that I am not a drunkard. But for situations like these, we have to, how do you say, ensure and anticipate. I am going to tell you how you will approach your fiancée, and trust me, you want to be drunk when you hear that. Now, take a glass and tell me everything."

So Itachi did. He confessed all his worries and woes. He told about how he had been informed of his engagement, how it had taken place, about his thoughts and convictions that he had to prevent the same end towards his own bride that had happened for his mother. Itachi revealed how he wanted to protect her, and for her to be comfortable and reassured with him, and how he had thought that the meetings would turn everything better but how the situation was just worsening.

Kakashi dutifully listened as Itachi explained the problems with their chaperone, and how her cold demeanor was affecting their meetings. The Uchiha confessed that he had felt differently towards his maiden fiancée, that there was a sort of softness, a tenderness that he felt towards her. He talked about how he was enchanted when she tilted her head just so, how he found the colour of the spring sky suited her,warm and open and free, how it highlighted the curve of her cheekbones and the darkness of her lashes. He talked about how he felt this strange, jumpy feeling whenever he saw her, whether she was entering a room or from just a glance in the village.

Itachi was astonished to learn things about himself as a result of simply putting his problem into words. He was, after all, just a boy inside; a lost, emotionally confused boy, who had been suppressed for years, and taught to believe that emotions were a weakness. His father and the elders had trained him to be a machine, a tool in their plans for greatness, with no concern for his own happiness. He knew nothing of the basic emotion love, having never received or felt it with the sole exception of his mother. He did not know what the protective urges towards his fiancée meant or his attraction to her, stemming from the words she said, the way she spoke, the clothes she wore. He was lost and confused in a sea of sudden, powerful emotion, and he knew not how to handle it, what to do, how to behave, how to react. His instincts tried to show him, but his training reacted and he was left stranded, unable to communicate, to express, to feel. He wanted nothing more than to understand his feelings, to act upon this strange urge, but being outcast from all things good and pure and natural for so long, he did not know how.

While Itachi unburdened himself, the solemn Hatake listened to him with a patient ear and a concerned look. He had not expected that the boy's feelings would run this deep. To hear the voice of one who had long been suppressed opening his heart to an almost stranger and exposing the pain he felt inside touched him deeply. He cursed Fugaku for turning Itachi into what he was – a fearsome shinobi, to be sure, but also an emotionally dead wreck. For the first time, Kakashi truly _saw _Itachi Uchiha – saw him as the scared, needy boy he was as well as what he _should _be if his own father wasn't so bloody oppressive.

Having felt this concern, there was nothing he could do but suggest a very intelligent and undoubtedly beneficial strategy to bring Itachi back to the world of the living.

After that the memories were a little disjointed.

Methodically drinking the liquor that Kakashi poured out, Itachi quickly began to lose control. His tolerance level wasn't very high, not having been exposed to heavy alcohol at the same time that all his colleagues had, and thus loss of his senses took over fast. The last thing he could remember was Kakashi's sympathetic face as he raised his umpteenth glass of saké.

And now this. He was lying in a bed, definitely at the hospital, with bandages wrapped around his throbbing head.

Feeling his skull, Itachi felt slightly dubious. He had heard that hangovers were bad, and hurting this fiercely proved it, but really, was there a need for bandages? He had never heard of someone actually getting so drunk that they ended up with thick, sterilized wraps required to keep their brains in.

A machine next to him beeped as he attempted to sit up, pulling at the IV in his arm.

"Itachi-san, please don't!"

He glanced over as a person who had been seated across the room stood and moved to stand beside him. Itachi recognized Haruno Sakura, her green eyes filled with worry. Putting a hand to his forehead (he winced – it felt like burning knives were stabbing him), she asked concernedly, "How are you feeling, Itachi-san?"

He opened his mouth to reply, to find it felt like sandpaper was shoved in his throat. Taking the glass of water that she was offering, he downed the whole thing in one gulp. Swallowing, Itachi said, "My head hurts, but apart from that I am quite well, Sakura-san."

She nodded once more, the concern in her eyes not diminishing as she scribbled on her clipboard. "Well, I can give you some painkillers, but they will not help much, not with -"

The door behind her banged open before she could say any more. In strode Mitarashi Anko with two other shinobi walking behind her. Sakura swirled behind the bed, her face turning tight the moment she saw the fearsome woman. Lips pursed, she said tightly, "I am afraid that visitors are not yet allowed inside, Anko-san. Only family -"

"Cut the crap, Haruno," Anko imperiously snapped. "I'm here on behalf of the Law and Order division of Konoha's Special Forces. I need to speak with Itachi alone. My companions -" here there was a careless wave to the two men standing behind her, " – will escort you outside."

Sakura glared at the older shinobi, but she was powerless to stop her and they all knew it. She allowed the two men to take her arm as they walked her out, glowering the entire time at the purple-haired snake-charmer. The moment she was outside and the doors had been closed, Anko dropped into a chair with a groan.

"Anko," Itachi said, slightly surprised. He had not expected her to be back from the Suna reconstruction just yet. "I didn't know you were back."

"Shut the fuck up," the foul-mouthed shinobi retorted. Her head came up as she finally bothered to look at him. "What the hell do you think you're doing over here?"

Very few people had earned the right to call Itachi by his first name without a suffix. Even his fangirls refrained from doing so. The small amount of people who fearlessly spoke to him so familiarly were his brother, father, and Shisui, along with the people he truly respected in their community.

Mitarashi Anko definitely qualified for that position. She was a few years older than him, but they had virtually started their careers together. For as long as he could remember, Anko was a fearless warrior who had a low tolerance for nonsense and good skills to enforce those views, along with a rather debilitating addiction to dango. She had been one of only two friends Itachi could turn to through the years, and had supported and encouraged him whenever he felt incapable. He knew her to be a loyal friend, a capable and talented shinobi, an appreciative customer, and a patriotic citizen of Konoha. She was always friendly and humorous with him, which was why he was surprised to see a frustrated and angry expression on her face.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Itachi said, surprised. "What are you referring to?" As far as he knew, he had done nothing wrong in his last few missions. They had all been completed spectacularly.

Anko stirred like a rattlesnake who was finding their traditional warning to be ignored. "_This_!" she exclaimed, opening her arms wide to gesture at the whole room. "Everything! What on earth have you been doing, Itachi? Do you even remember what you did yesterday?"

"What did I do?" Itachi asked with a growing sense of dread. The ominous words, along with his inability to remember any of his prior antics and winding up in a hospital was making him fear whatever she was about to say. He unconsciously began to pray to God that she was overreacting.

Anko's mouth fell open. "You honestly don't remember?" He shook his head, and then, sighing incredulously, she proceeded. "You were supposed to meet with Hyuuga Hinata, who by the way you have told me nothing about, and trust me, you will be punished for that, but before then there's the immediate issue of how badly you have screwed the pooch here, Itachi!"

When he only continued to stare at her blankly, the cobra lady swelled up like that selfsame animal. "Do you remember the fact that you were drunk? You went and got drunk with Hatake Kakashi, of all people! Now, I don't know whether you were trying to have a competition or what, but you do know that Kakashi has the highest tolerance level in the whole village, right? He managed to drink me _and _Tsunade under the table. And you had to get plastered with him. How could you be so goddamn dumb?"

The mere fact that she was speaking to him that way prevented Itachi from responding.

Anko tapped her fingers restlessly against her knee as he sat stupefied. "You say you don't remember a word of what happened yesterday? That's good, because if you did, you would have committed suicide by now, it was that bad. Get ready for this." She leaned forward and fixed him with a look that dripped with contempt. "You sexually assaulted a girl. You freaking sexually assaulted _a girl, _you horny idiot!"

His ears were ringing, and he couldn't believe what she was saying. There had to be some mistake; Anko must be mistaken, because there was no way that Uchiha Itachi could ever dishonor _anybody _like that. He lived his life by a moral code, one of the only things that he himself had created, and he believed in that code. Assaulting a woman was definitely not acceptable. There was no way he could have done that.

His tormentor continued with the impossible revelations. "You know what's worse, Itachi? She wasn't some stupid groupie – she was your fiancée, Hyuuga Hinata. You went to your rooms and pounced on her like you were some kind of animal. You ripped her obi off and were working on her kimono before you could be restrained. You _violated _her, and you would have done a lot more than just open her top if your chaperone hadn't controlled you in time!"

Itachi sat in stunned silence. This couldn't be true. He couldn't have done that. He _couldn't. _His heart was pounding and his mind was unable to concentrate. He couldn't have done that. He would never do that to anybody. "I couldn't have," he muttered in a vain attempt to make himself believe it. "I couldn't have; no way, I couldn't have…"

"But you did," Anko replied, her rage and grief showing clearly through her voice. "You _did. _Do you think those bandages on your head came for nothing? The reason you have those is because someone had to beat you bloody to get you off her. They hit you repeatedly and your hair caught fire too, but that's okay, it was just a couple of inches." Anko seemed to realize she was drifting off track and pulled herself back to gaze at him with stricken eyes. "But, Itachi, _how could you_?"

The very same question haunted him long after she had left.

Itachi lay on the bed, one finger twirling amongst his shortened tresses as he contemplated it. He had made an oath; he had vowed to protect her, to cherish her and nurture her, to avoid any kind of adetriment to their relationship. That oath had not even survived their courtship phase. He had violated her very dignity, and shamed her.

His heart throbbed with that revelation. He had hurt her. More deeply than he could imagine, he had hurt her. He thought of her face, its gentle demeanor coming into his mind; the shy, half-hidden eyes, the trembling lips. And then this was replaced with the vision of fear and pain, anger and rage and betrayal that must have overtaken the girl, her face twisted with helpless agony. This image more than anything else would intrude upon his mind, and he would wince and suffer through it, knowing that he had caused that expression on such a lovely girl.

For the first time in years, Itachi Uchiha cried. He cried for the pain he had caused a person who he loved and wanted to protect, he cried for the shame he had brought upon her. He cried for the disgrace he had piled on his family, he cried for the disappointment in the voice of one of his closest friends. And he cried for himself, because he wasn't strong enough, because he was the cause of so much misery.

But most of all, Itachi Uchiha cried because he knew that his relationship with the girl he had only recently realized he loved would never be the same again, and that the ties that bound them were forever shattered, perhaps never to be mended. 


	14. Letter

**Hello, cheerios!**

**I am in an extremely good mood, which is why I have decided that old plans are going to hell, and that _you _guys are getting a treat.**

**Yes, this chapter is a milestone in the whole story, and something a lot of you have been waiting for a VERY long time. I have officially damned my plans and given this to you. Aren't I nice?**

**Haha, just kidding. Truth is, it was eating me alive, too.**

**Also, this in no way changes the current state of the story. The pairing is still itahinasasu, not telling which one will go up.**

**Haha, made you curious, right? Yes, the fandom of one of the brothers is going to be disappointed today. However, do not worry! This cements nothing! Our lovely Hina-chan still has a chance with the other.**

**I am SO curious to hear your responses that I'm jumping of my seat right now. I am not going to delay you any longer. Ladies and gentlemen (and diehard narutards), without further ado, I give you, the latest chapter of MoC!**

**Disclaimer: The day I own Naruto, will be the day when Sasori finally realises that I'm his ideal girl and comes to be with me (*squeal!*)**

**~conorlover~**

* * *

Chapter 14

Letter

Hinata stared vacantly into space – or, rather more accurately, into the flower-patterned wall paper that adorned her ceiling.

The past week had been completely hectic for her, and yet strangely lethargic. It was filled with polar opposites. Ever since the Incident, her family had been a mixture of supporting and scornful, and that, mixed with the odd reactions of the rest of the village, had combined to make it the most stressful week ever.

After the… Incident (she did not know what to call it, and she preferred never to think of it _ever _again), she had woken up in a hospital room with Hanabi and Neji sitting at her bedside. After the immediate questions of whether she was fine, Hanabi had asked her what had happened. She didn't think she would ever want to talk about it.

After reaching home, the reactions from her family and friends had been mixed. While some of the more sympathetic elders and cousins had supported her, Hinata had heard a lot of snide whispers that she had done it on purpose in order to incite him, and then blamed the entire incident on him. Not only were these untrue, but they were also actually very hurtful. To hear that your own family, who were supposed to support you through thick or thin, themselves doubted your integrity – the blow fell extra hard. Her own teammates somewhat helped in that subject, making up for the betrayal by her own family. Kurenai was pregnant, and needed extreme rest, but every night, either Shino or Kiba insisted on sleeping outside her room, resisting Hiashi's furious attempts to expel them from the building. Hiashi had been so enraged by their refusal to leave that he had forbidden anyone to give them any form of comfort, but that had not prevented Kiba and Shino. They had slept on the bare ground, with no sheet to cover themselves whatsoever.

Her sister had been an unimaginable comfort. Using the attack as an excuse, Hanabi had insisted on spending more time with her sister than she would have been allowed to earlier. Echoing the spirit of her teammates, Hanabi had insisted on sleeping with her sister in her room, to comfort her through all her nightmares, and to bond with her older sister. Being deprived of her presence so long had left Hinata with a strange, hollow part inside, almost as if she was missing something. The role of an elder sister, never fully granted, was still, in a way, out of her reach. It was fundamentally Hanabi, with her strong, sure words of comfort, and her safe arms, who was playing the role and performing the duties that had been hers. The sheer relief of having someone there for you, along with the gratitude towards her sister for undertaking this task, and the thankfulness towards whatever God there was for finally allowing herself and her younger sister to interact, greatly helped Hinata through her ordeal. Even the whispers seemed to fade into a buzz when she was with her shield of safety. The three pinnacles that held her to the ground – namely Kiba, Shino, and Hanabi – were, however, helpless during the horrors of the night.

It was only natural to expect that she would have nightmares after that Incident. Funnily enough, none of her nightly torments were actually related to the embarrassment she had suffered during that fateful day. Instead, the torment had seemed to revive some painful memories, most of them related to the embarrassment she had felt as a child. Her younger, more vulnerable self had been firmly convinced that she was a failure to the house of Hyuuga, that her presence as the heiress was seen as nothing but a tragedy, that she should have been born a boy. The elders had insisted time and again that she should be faster like her cousin Neji, smarter like her cousin Neji, stronger like her cousin Neji, more perceptive like her cousin Neji, _better _like her cousin Neji, and male, like her cousin Neji. Things had deteriorated so badly that often, Hinata used to sneak to the graveyard at night, short legs quaking in fear of awakening any ghosts, wandering through the spooky place, just to have the comfort of being near her mother's grave. The elders were dismissive and disappointed, her sister was barred from seeing her, her cousin was resentful, and the rest of the clan whispered things that should surely have gotten them punished but for the fact that many of the elders thought them too. The superstitious clansmen had taken the birth of Hinata, a female in the Main House, and Neji, a male in the Branch House, extremely suspiciously. Rumours had flown as to how Hizashi Hyuuga was really the firstborn, how the Healers had mistaken him for his younger brother, Hiashi. They spoke of how Hizashi had been deprived all his life, and how the Gods were taking their revenge by blessing Hizashi with a boy and Hiashi with a girl. After all, the male must surely inherit the clan. It would not do to have a female take the rightful position.

All these rumours and ill will had been a very bad environment for a child to grow in, and innocent Hinata had not been spared. She had several debilitating memories from that time, and the corresponding loss of faith in herself after the Incident had awoken several of them, undermining her self-confidence once again. This, apart from damaging her already shaky belief in herself, also hampered her recovery from the fears caused because of the Incident, and made her much more vulnerable to the veiled insults by her family.

The village was no better. All of Itachi's fangirls, who had earlier expressed their shock and dislike for the engagement by simultaneously protesting in front of the Hyuuga compound for days on end until Hiashi had finally lost his temper because of lack of sleep and unleashed Neji on them, lost no time in declaring the Hinata had framed their admired idol. This scorn had started many other rumors which had spread through the Village like wildfire, further damaging her reputation. This was countered in part by the sympathy among the Villagers for the attack, but nevertheless, it managed to portray her as a wily, moral- valueless temptress in the minds of many others.

Hinata did not have to face up against these words, though. Ever since being released from the hospital, she had voluntarily confined herself to the Hyuuga compound. Distrusting though they may be, the Hyuugas were family, and even if they do not believe or support each other, they would never _throw _things or physically abuse a member of the Main House. The punishment was far too great for such a brief moment of satisfaction. The only time anybody had done it was when Neji had attempted to kill her during the preliminaries of the chuunin exam, and that too only because he had a valid excuse. If he had succeeded in his attempted murder, however, excuse or no excuse, he would undoubtedly have been executed, his tremendous talent notwithstanding. Assault on a Main House member was unforgivable. The elders would probably have come up with some paltry explanation as to how Neji was her Protector, and how he should have given up and surrendered instead of attacking the Hyuuga heiress.

Anyway, being confined to her rooms everyday had left Hinata somewhat in the dark about how things were outside. Her teammates, too, took extreme care not to divulge any information that may hurt her, and Hanabi needed no reminder as to what to do. Neji had been on missions for a long time, but in the short break that he got between them, he had come to see how she was doing, but refused to talk about anything else. Hinata was perfectly content with this arrangement until one fateful day.

It started with her being woken from her afternoon nap because of the sounds of a scuffle. Her previous night's horrors had left her sleepless and exhausted, and Hanabi had suggested taking a nap to relieve some of the stress on her body. Somehow, in the brightness of the warm afternoon sun outside, and the warmth of Hanabi's favorite cat curled up, breathing snoozily at her feet, she could manage to get a decent sleep, without dreams of any kind. It was only night, with its dark, poisonous claws and mysterious depths, which frightened her, and brought out the hidden fears in her mind. She had, after all, always been a child of the sun.

Eyes drooping sleepily, she had traipsed outside to find both Shino and Kiba missing from their post in front of their door, a rare occurrence during these days. They were almost permanent fixtures. Curious at this lapse in commitment, which was extremely rare for them, she wandered towards the front gate, where the main sounds of the scuffle were coming from. Sleepy as she was, her mind automatically ignored all the sounds of conversation, until the utterance of her own name caused her to finally take notice.

"…beg of you, please! I have to talk to Hinata-san!"

"Haven't I refused you already, molester? You're not getting anywhere near my sister _ever _again!"

"Hanabi-san, I can completely understand your animosity towards me. However, I merely want to have the honour of conversing with her for a few minutes…"

"No way, mister. Look, I don't know who you think you are, but get this damn straight. You're not entering Hyuuga property after what you did. Not a chance in Tsunade's sake bottle. In fact, tell you what? You're not meeting my sister, ever. Not even when she's out in town. I'll get a restraining order against you."

"Hanabi-san, surely, for the sake of the relations between our two clans -"

"There are no relations between our clans, punk! The engagement's _over_!"

"Hanabi, hold your tongue! Do not disgrace us like this! Uchiha-san, of course the engagement is still present."

"But Father, how can you, after what _he's _done -"

"Hanabi, hold your tongue or I will personally ensure that your master takes the whip to you. Behaving so crassly! Do not shame the house of Hyuuga. Uchiha-san, I apologize for the inconvenience. Please, come right inside."

"Not while I'm alive. Uchiha, get your smarmy ass outta here or Shino and I will be forced to take matters into our own hands."

"Inuzuka, who gives you the authority to dictate what goes on in my own house? I have allowed you to befoul the pristine walls of the Hyuuga compound for long enough – you leave now. I will not tolerate your presence here. I have tolerated enough as it is, now _you _tell me how to run my own house?"

"Well, _somebody _had to look out for Hinata's interests, and since it's not gonna be daddy dearest…"

"What's going on over here?" Hinata sleepily interrupted.

Her father, Hanabi, Kiba, and Shino were all standing near the door that allowed people inside _her _part of the Main House. Her friends and sister were glaring at the door and her father with expressions of animosity, while her father looked exasperated and disapproving. They were obviously arguing with the person who was standing on the other side of the door, for it was open slightly, and she could see something dark from where she standing.

Immediately, everybody turned around to look at her, and, in a flash of speed that she envied, Shino was beside her, his gentle arm silently guiding her back towards her room. She looked up at him, frowning, but seeing the concern in his unreadable face, decided to obey him and go back to her room. He only wanted what was best for her, after all.

Suddenly, another scuffle broke out. Whirling fast, she was able to catch sight of a dark arm trying to break free as Kiba forcibly restrained its owner before Shino covered her eyes with his sleeve. More curious than ever, she however curbed her curiosity and meekly followed him back to her room. After all they had done for her, it would have seemed like ingratitude to go against their wishes, even if they were contradictory to her own.

She tried to go back to sleep, but it was impossible. She could not help but try to deduce who the black-sleeved arm belonged to. That person had asked for her, and Kiba and Hanabi had refused to let him – for the voice was undoubtedly male – see her. She recognized that voice as having heard it before, but was frustrated when she couldn't pinpoint exactly whom it belonged to.

Despite her questions, she eventually managed to drift off, exhausted by her excessive sleepless nights. When she woke up, it was already twilight, and the servants were lighting the dim oil lamps that lit the corridors. The sun had already set, but its rays still shone out from behind the horizon, illuminating the sky, and turning it into an artist's palette. Shades of every colour – blue, pink, rose, lemon, chrome, teal, mahogany – could be found in it. It was breathtaking, and she found herself enchanted by the perfect blending. It truly was a magical evening.

She was alone again, but that didn't scare her now. Night was still to come. She could hear Kiba's heavy, slow, even breaths outside the door. He was probably curled up and fast asleep, resembling a dog more than ever. Her father had absolutely forbidden Akamaru from the Hyuuga compound, which is why the faithful dog had to be left at the Inuzuka Estate. Needless to say, neither dog nor master was happy about this arrangement. But they bore it for her sake.

The scent was heavy with the smell of jasmines. It was a scent she had loved as a child, and that feeling was revived in her now. The intoxicating but subtle scent, coupled with the masterpiece in the sky, and the sound of Kiba's reassuring, comforting breaths outside, combined to make her more comfortable than she had been in ages.

She noticed something near the door. It was a letter with a note on top, which looked as though it had been slid underneath the screen door. Picking it up, she recognized Shino's distinctive, slightly abstract handwriting on the note. Settling herself near the doors that led to the verandah, because the dying rays still held sufficient light, she unfolded it.

In a neat, nondescript handwriting, Shino had written

_Hinata,_

_This letter came from the person at the door. I know you were curious, so I took the liberty of delivering his message to you. I hope you will forgive me if you find it offending._

_Shino._

And that was it. Shino wasn't a man for big words, but his quiet, expressionless face held all the truth that Hinata needed to know. In this case, the slightly awkward handwriting in her hand disguised Shino's true concern and feeling. Almost like the way he hid behind his sunglasses. Truly Shino.

She opened the letter and started to read it. After the first sentence, she froze.

_Hinata-san,_

_I beg you if I have offended you. I would have found another way to contact you, but the Hyuugas do not seem to be keen to let Uchiha Itachi enter their grounds._

The letter was undoubtedly from Itachi. His handwriting, although never seen by her before, was so exactly like him. Kurenai had once told her that a person's personality was reflected by their handwriting. This sentiment, while true for Shino, was also correct for Itachi. It had a mysterious flair to it, and yet, it was humblingly simple and elegant. Almost like a person hiding behind shadows and yet yearning to be in the sunlight.

She gulped. She did not want any memories of the Incident to resurface, but the words in Shino's note were still fresh in her mind. Itachi-san had written to her. Shino had trusted him enough to deliver the note. Hinata trusted Shino enough to know that he would have never done it if it would hurt her in any way. Itachi-san must have had a very convincing reply.

If Shino trusted the letter, then she trusted it.

She opened the letter once more, bravely this time. She would _not _be a coward.

_Hinata-san,_

_I beg you if I have offended you. I would have found another way to contact you, but the Hyuugas do not seem to be keen to let Uchiha Itachi enter their grounds._

_I would have preferred to do this face to face, to express my sentiments in a way that you would not doubt them at all. However, I am forced to resort to this. I hope you will listen to me and not throw down this letter in disgust, although you are fully entitled to._

_I want to apologize, Hinata-san. I want to apologize for my abominable behavior. I have no excuse for it. If I had been another man, perhaps a smarter one (or a dumber one, depending how you look at it), then I would have perhaps constructed an excuse. One is legible for my case, but I will not use it. The fault is mine and mine alone._

_You cannot believe how deeply mortified I was when I learnt the truth of what happened that fateful day. You must believe that those were not my intentions at all. My intentions, as you will see later in this letter, were quite different, and supposed to be conducted in a much more sober fashion than I was at that moment._

_You see, Hinata-san, ever since our engagement day, I have been trying to understand you. You are, after all, my fiancée. My own mother lived without understanding or even knowing my father, and I am not lying when I say that her life was not a happy one. I wished to prevent you the same fate, to not become an exact replica of my father. However, in the process, I have become something worse. _

_The idea of our meetings was quite novel to me. However, it was not unwelcome. I thought I could finally become acquainted with you, and perhaps I would move somewhat closer to the goal of understanding and accommodating you, but the plan backfired. Our chaperone, Miyanami-san, I am afraid, was partially the cause of that._

_Miyanami-san is not my most adoring great-aunt. She, quite frankly, is repulsed by me. This arises from an old inter-family feud that took place before I was born. However, the sentiments from that linger today in her heart. I am not sure what the elders were thinking when they appointed her to be our chaperone, but I am not quite approving of their decision. She had, in the commonest words, been quite a 'pain in the ass' for me._

_Keeping with the sentiment, she promptly proceeded to make our meetings quite difficult. I am afraid that her attitude towards you was also unacceptable, and I apologize for that. It made my initial objective impossible, and reduced me to a stuttering idiot. You would have thought me an imbecile. I apologize for any discomfort I may have caused you during those pathetic interactions._

_Frustrated, I tried to reach out to anybody who could help. I am not close to many people, so the variety in options was not extraordinary. My father was naturally out of the question. I remembered his cold attitude towards his own wife, my mother, and immediately disqualified him. My closest friend, Shisui, is, to say the least, very immature. My other friend, Mitarashi Anko, apart from being female, was also on a mission to Sunagakure._

_Stymied, I searched high and low for someone who could help, but came up with naught. It was only recently, while on a highly classified mission, that I came across somebody who could help. My partner was the talented shinobi, Hatake Kakashi. He is also known as the Copycat ninja, due to his somehow possessing a sharingan, and is currently working under the direct wishes of the Hokage after the graduation of his genin team, which includes my brother Sasuke. I was reminded of the many times that Sasuke had gone to Kakashi-san for solutions to his problems, and I thought that perhaps he could help me as well._

_After reaching back to Konoha, I explained the problem to Kakashi-san, and he kindly offered to guide me in establishing more cordial relations with you. He offered me a drink, and, although I am not very fond of alcohol, I agreed to go with him in order to appease him._

_I am not a drinker, Hinata-san. I have barely consumed two glasses of alcohol in my life. However, on that particular day, I consumed much more than was normal, even for a seasoned drinker like the Hokage. I do not know why – perhaps it was because of the location that Kakashi-san took me to. I would describe it for you, but it is very vulgar and not suitable for your ears. Having consumed a higher share of alcohol than usual, I found myself completely and utterly insensible, and, in the common word, 'drunk'. My dislike towards alcohol and my low consumption of the beverage had led me to be, in another slang word, a 'lightweight'. I am (slightly) ashamed to say that I am not able to handle my alcohol. I become inebriated in a very short span of time. This factor worked against me on that day, as my above-average consumption led me to become completely and utterly insensible, so much so that I do not remember what happened later that day._

_Leaving Kakashi-san, I proceeded to stumble back into my rooms. There was some vague memory in my mind that reminded me that we were supposed to meet today, and thus instinct led me there. If my instinct had been in sober conditions, then perhaps I would have known better than to go there at that very moment, but sadly it too was highly inebriated and only knew enough to take me to my rooms. Entering… well, you, of all people, know very well what happened then._

_I have no excuses for the whole incident, only my sincere and heartfelt apologies. My traitorous mind sometimes whispers that perhaps if we had been able to communicate freely, this incident may not have taken place at all, but I know that is not true. It is entirely my fault._

_I forward my sincere apologies to you. The more rational part of me says that you will probably not even read this letter, that you will most likely burn it before you opened it, but if by some miracle, you do, then I would like you to know that I am profoundly ashamed of my actions. I hope that your kind nature will find it in some depth the capacity to forgive me, even though I am not worthy of it if I labored for a thousand years._

_I hope you will consider these words._

_Thank you for granting me this much of your time._

_Yours faithfully,_

_Uchiha Itachi_

Hinata stared dumbstruck at the letter after reading it.

It was so humble, so very apologetic in tone, and so very different from what she had anticipated. The words written in it, accepting full responsibility for whatever she had suffered. It was straight and down to earth, and had no pretenses about it. Moreover, his earnest, but not arrogant explanation had combined to make her viewpoint very different from what it had been previously.

He wanted to get to know her better. He wanted to spare her the suffering that both their mothers had been through. He wanted to be on familiar terms with her, to make this transition as easy for her as was possible.

She felt tears well up in her eyes as she thought of all the less-than-complimentary things she had thought of Itachi during the past few months. Cold, stand-offish, incapable of human emotion – she could not have been more mistaken. Itachi had a warm, but confused personality, and he genuinely cared about her. He was caring, humble, and earnest. He wasn't cold at all – the tainted portrait she had been viewing all these months had finally been cleared to reveal something she had not been expecting. This sensitive person, who cared about her feelings, made her feel ashamed about her thoughts and feelings. She had been so impeccably selfish, creating and embellishing a false image, cultivating tainted thoughts. She had been forced into this sham of an engagement, but she had completely forgotten that he too had to be pushed into it. He didn't want this any more than she did. He was trapped, just like she was.

The realization that came with these thoughts was stunning. All these times, she had both consciously and subconsciously been blaming him for her predicament, sullying and badmouthing him because she felt trapped in an endless paradox. But she had forgotten that he too was trapped, that his career and expectations for the future were also stunted. She was only leaving her clan title and freedom behind, but perhaps he had to leave more than that. She had heard the contract – she knew that he could be stripped of his title. And while she too was heiress, there wasn't a man alive who wouldn't say that Hanabi was better than her at combat. That was a given fact. Hinata's skills lay in another direction. She was a master at negotiations and diplomatic deals, as well as medical ninjutsu, but her physical strength and genjutsu were nonexistent compared to her sister. This didn't mean that Hanabi was fit for the position – mentally weak and easily trapped by all that she could see, she would make the perfect puppet for the elders to manipulate. If anybody was worthy of the position, it was Neji, but his position as Branch House member made it impossible for him to lead. Besides, even if the elders somehow (miraculously) agreed, it was still too dangerous – any Main House member could control him by simply saying an incantation and activating the seal on his forehead. The seal, the dreaded Caged Bird, could never be removed. It was a permanent mark that you were a Branch House Hyuuga, and that you were considered 'inferior'.

Itachi, however, completely filled the role of leader. He was calm and collected, as well as an extraordinary shinobi, and he had great mental strength. He would make a great leader for the Uchihas. However, by marrying her, he risked losing that position. He was in danger of losing much more than she.

Besides, he was twenty-one. Perhaps he had someone he loved, someone he was discarding by marrying her. He wouldn't cheat on her, that much was obvious by his extremely honest letter, but in the process of easing her heart, he was breaking his own. His position was definitely disadvantageous.

He was an honourable, admirable man, one who she would love to get to know better. It would be an honour to be associated with him.

She felt a strange warmth, one she had never felt before, flow through her whole body, and instantly knew that everything had changed. She would never feel the same again. The world would forever be somehow subtly different. There would be hidden hues in it, colours that laughed at her and hid, frustrating her, but somehow enrichening and enlivening her pale, lifeless existence.

She searched in vain for the source of this feeling, but her inexperienced heart could not understand itself enough to determine the source.

The last rays in the sky shone on her face as Hinata clutched the letter to her heart, and forgave Itachi.

And she unconsciously raised the letter to her mouth, pressing it just barely to her lips, as she fell in love with him.

* * *

**You have no idea how evilly I am cackling right now.**

**I REALLY can't wait for your responses. Please, please review. Any and all questions will be answered, except, of course, for the one in the summary.**

**Lots of love (and hopes for reviews)**

**~conorlover~**


	15. Ice Cream

**All right, I have a bunch of excuses, but I'm not going to waste your time here by writing them. They'll be down at the bottom for whoever wishes to read them.**

**This chapter is slightly small, but its VERY juicy, so I hope that makes up for the length. Go ahead, read on!**

**And please review :)**

**~conorlover~**

**Disclaimer applies. **

* * *

Chapter 15

Ice Cream

Chocolate and raspberry ice cream had such a unique flavour to it.

Most people tried to avoid it, finding the sweetness of the chocolate to be contrasting with the tartness of the raspberry, but for Hinata it was a special treat. Her mother used to make this for her when they were young, and the taste of the rare treat made Hinata revive old memories that reminded her of when she was young and times were good. It was her favorite dessert, and she had spent many an afternoon near the enormous Hyuuga kitchens, watching the kitchen hands prepare the dish for their precious heiress. The last time she had eaten it, though, was several years ago, as a physical fitness instructor appointed by her father at age twelve had listed it as one of the unhealthy things to eat, forbidding her from touching it, and commanding her to instead concentrate on beef and the other red meat to increase the animal fat content, and trained her like a dog, trying to build up muscles. Unique as she was, though, the exercise had had absolutely no effect on her, leaving her arms with the same, wiry, understated muscles that were already present, instead of bulky, new ones, like sumo wrestlers arms.

She had scoured the city in secret searching for her favorite treat, looking desperately for it, but, as it was not a popular dessert, it was not to be found in any of the prominent pastry shops except one, and the owner of that had been strictly instructed by Hiashi not to sell her any items, at the threat of closing his livelihood. Complacent, but disappointed, Hinata had given up her search, resigning herself to a life which would forever be bereft of the delicious treat, until her father relented or was forced to relent.

So, it was today that she could feel fear bubbling deep inside her, somewhat marring the delicious taste in her mouth, at the thought of what would father's reaction be if he found out that she had broken one of his rules. Would he be very angry? Would he remain impassive? Would there be more cutting words about how she had disappointed the entire Hyuuga family, or made her undesirable to the Uchiha family? Would he be so furious that he would sentence her to a 'spar' with one of her cousins (which actually meant a sound beating from one of the former or present ANBU members of the Hyuuga family?

"Oh, lighten up," Sasuke said, licking his own frosted scoop. "It's not like you committed a murder or something."

"Demo, Sasuke-san, you don't understand. Father takes all of his rules to be of the same strength. To break one means the same punishment as if you break all," answered Hinata, in perfect seriousness. She could think of few things worse than her father's wrath.

"That's good, then. If I want, I could break all of the rules and still get the punishment for only one," the dark-haired teenager nonchalantly replied, words becoming slightly slurred due to his tongue being otherwise occupied in licking his rapidly-melting scoop.

Hinata felt a momentary dash of irritation, but it was quickly overcome by gratitude. After all, this man _had _just restored one of the greatest pleasures of her life.

They had been training, just like they did three times a week, and hinata had finally been a little pleased. She had managed to evade Sasuke's murderous attacks a total of seven times, a new record. The man was ruthless, and it was rare that she was able to anticipate his random attempts towards relieving her of her life, but today, she had beaten her previous record by a whole new three times. Even Sasuke had seemed to think that she was improving – well, at least she assumed that he thought that she was improving. He had ended the session with a noncommittal 'Hn' as usual, but there had been more warmth, and something that looked begrudgingly like respect in his face. Far too happy to be alive, Hinata had quickly washed her arms to remove some of the grass and mud stains, and was preparing to go home. It was not a pleasant thought, but she had nowhere else to haunt today, and home was really the only place she could stay. Neji and Hanabi were both out on missions, B- and D- class respectively, and Hinata had been alone for the past week. Father had left her alone in the evenings, but he _had _been eyeing her contemplatively last night, and she was certain that he was about to order her to spend her time more constructively when he had been called away by a meeting of the elders.

She had been supremely glad for it yesterday, but was unsure if Lady Luck would intervene in her behalf today as well. Sasuke gave her a grueling workout, and the only thing she wanted to do after that was to relax and unwind with some friends, instead of what her father would inevitably order her to do. Either she would be commanded to practice her taijutsu, or she would have to work on some new exercise that was needed for her upcoming nuptials to the heir of the Uchiha clan.

Lady Luck, though, seemed to be more compassionate than usual, or maybe it was just intuition on the behalf of one ebony-eyed shinobi. Sasuke had stared at her with an unreadable expression on his face, and then asked her, in a low, masculine voice, whether she would like to get something to eat.

She had stared open-mouthed at him for a second, far too shocked to perform any of those basic neural functions, until her brain had kicked in and started to go to overdrive. Beginning to weigh pros against cons, it had promptly put facts such as her impending doom, her grumbling stomach, her curiosity about her trainer, and her unwillingness to go home in the pros section. Under cons came – nothing. Earlier, she would have probably been frightened out of her mind about going out to eat something with the Uchiha, but today her mind was strangely at peace. After all, if he had wanted to kill her, surely he would have done it by now? It would be much easier to break her neck and leave her on the training field, where no one knew they were training together, than to take her out publicly and poison her with some toxin in front of a lot of witnesses.

So, she agreed to go with him. Not only because the pros section was so full, but also because she genuinely wanted to get to know him behind his elusive façade. Hinata was a human being, and humans are naturally curious. After all, humans and cats are from different classes. Besides, she somewhat liked and trusted him to a point.

So that was how they had found themselves wandering the streets of Konoha, searching for something to eat. Both agreed that it was far too early for dinner, the sun having barely set and its rays still shining warm over the sky. Dango was a possibility, but Sasuke had spotted Anko there, and dragged her away, saying something about a 'witch woman', and finally, exhausted they had settled on ice cream.

That was when the impossible had happened.

Sasuke had asked her which ice cream she liked best.

She had replied, meekly, that it didn't matter.

Sasuke had grown irritated and had growled/asked her which ice cream she liked best again.

She had grown scared, and, in a breath of air so soft it could not be heard except by the sharpest shinobi ears, she had replied "Ch-ch-chocolateandraspberry."

Sasuke had miraculously been able to decipher her words and had taken her to a small wasabi shop tucked into a corner.

The shop also sold chocolate and raspberry ice cream.

Hinata had gaped in astonishment.

Sasuke had ordered raspberry and chocolate for her and 'The Usual' for himself.

Which brought them back to their present state.

Hinata snuck a glance at Sasuke. He was moodily picking at his cherry-red ice cream. The colour of it was really quite astonishing. A stain the colour of the ripest cherry decorated the mound of now-melting-previously-frozen cream. She idly watched it as she placed small amounts of her own double scoop inside her mouth, relishing every spoonful, and swirling the flavours around with her tongue. It really _was _heaven in frozen form.

She wondered what flavour he had chosen. He had only mentioned 'The Usual' in an authoritative tone to the waiter, so it was obvious that he was a regular to this shop. The colour was really quite eye-catching. It looked like a bright cherry, or a new snow apple, or the cheeks of one of the young children running around outside, or the inside of an overripe papaya, or red dango sauce, or…

Or blood.

She suddenly lurched back from the table, a horrible feeling welling inside her. Blood. The answer was really quite obvious. Sasuke was having blood-flavored ice cream. Blood, like the one that beat through her veins at this very moment. Blood. Blood, _blood, _**blood.**

She was sitting with a vampire.

It wasn't as if people hadn't speculated that he _was _a vampire. Both the Uchiha brothers looked extremely alike, but differed in looks from both their parents. That, combined with their otherworldly beauty and the relative homeliness of both their parents, had led to half the village speculating that the boys were the children of a succubus that had seduced Uchiha Mikoto, promising her a life of love and pleasure, and to take her away from her cold, emotionally and physically abusive husband, but left her with only her two boys, Sasuke and Itachi. These boys' extraordinary good looks, combined with their ability to attract women, their amazing abilities, and the legend that an old woman had spun about seeing someone who looked just like them entering Mikoto Uchiha's quarters once late at night, had made some of the more superstitious members of Konoha's community declare that they were vampired – half-admiringly and half-fearfully.

Hinata was not superstitious beyond a certain level, but tonight, perhaps because of the miracles taking place, or the full moon hanging low in the sky, or the sound of people's laughter outside, a sound she rarely heard, but she was feeing particularly jumpy. In the dim light of the red lanterns that the shopkeeper had lit outside barely half an hour ago, Sasuke seemed unusually pale. He always almost resembled paper, but tonight it seemed to go even deeper than that. His hair seemed darker, casting long shadows on his skin, and his lips were stained red from the ice cream. His eyelashes cast long shadows on his ckeeks, forming perfect half circles. He looked ridiculously beautiful, and very, very dangerous. His ivory throat flexed almost menacingly every time he swallowed, and his canines seemed almost inhumanely long – longer than Kiba.

Dimly, Hinata became aware that Sasuke had stopped eating and was staring at her. She was leaning far back into her chair, and had dropped her spoon upon the table, dripping her yummy treat all over the worn wood of their booth. His stare seemed almost contemplative, like she was his…

Meal.

She was his meal.

It would make complete sense – his unnatural niceness, and the way he seemed almost considerate. He was making her drop her guard near him, and then, later, he would attack her and drink all her blood, leaving her mutilated corpse near some lonely building…

"What?"

Hinata startled out of her reverie at that one word, eyes shooting up to meet Sasuke's. He had stopped eating, and was now looking at her strangely. Blushing furiously, she replied with a noncommittal sound.

This was ridiculous. He couldn't be a vampire, vampires didn't exist. And if he was a vampire, then how on earth did he possess the sharingan?

But his mother was an Uchiha too, even though she wasn't a shinobi, and she did possess the sharingan…

If he wanted to drink her blood, why didn't he do it before, when they were alone? He could have pretended that it was simply one of his attacks during training instead of going to all this trouble.

This was becoming too much for even her remarkable brain size to handle. Surely, the easiest route out was to simply ask him what flavour his ice cream was?

So she did.

Sasuke looked up, and blinked once, surprised. Then, looking down again – was that a blush on his cheeks? – he gruffly replied.

"Tomato."

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke was feeling extremely uncomfortable.

It had more to do with Hinata's open mouthed, blank stare than anything else. Usually, when he ate ice cream, he was relaxed, enjoying the flavours swirling around in his mouth, but tonight, he felt awkward and out of place. This was new, as a few moments ago he was sitting and enjoying a frosty treat with a girl who fascinated him.

He wondered what had inspired him to ask her out like that. They had merely been training as usual, and he had noticed some marked improvements in her form After seeing her tired visage, he had suggested retiring for the night, and she had briefly become elated, before mentioning home, and then a shadow of dread settled over her. She was clearly trying to stall returning to her house, and, though he did not know the reason, Sasuke felt as though he should help her out somehow. She had, after all, made ridiculous progress during the last few days, and some niggling voice inside him demanded that he make her happy. He was curious as to the reason as to why she didn't want to go home, but the gentleman in him, small as it was, insisted that if she didn't think it appropriate to share her thoughts with him, then he should leave it be. Seeing her small face looking so dejected, though, he hadn't been able to help himself and had proposed that they go out for a meal together.

This had led them to the busy marketplace, which was filled to the capacity with the evening crowd. Sasuke was too busy trying to avoid his omnipresent fangirls and the openmouthed gapes of the villagers to concentrate on Hinata herself, and they soon found themselves embroiled right in the centre of all the hustle. Being that it was merely evening as of yet, he did not feel hungry at all, and he was relieved to find out that she, too, was not eager to partake her dinner just as yet. He had seen a neighbouring sign, and had nonchalantly suggested ice cream, and she had agreed. Despite initial difficulties,he had finally got her to admit her favorite kind, and had taken her to his favorite ice cream shop. Having never taken the flavour himself, he was unsure to as to whether they would have it, but he knew the owner of the shop – had since childhood, in fact – and was aware that if anybody had all the flavours of ice cream, it would be him. The shop wasn't very big, and one had to navigate quite a bit just to see it, but it was worth it. The shopkeeper mostly catered to the exclusive set of people who had actually managed to find his shop, but still kept the widest range of food possible. If the shop could have horseradish ice cream, then why on earth couldn't they have chocolate and raspberry?

So he dragged her into the shop, and ordered a double scoop of both their choices. Momentarily losing himself in the bliss of his own ice cream, he came to when he realized that Hinata's posture had changed. Instead of that ridiculously pleased expression, she was now sporting a rather scared one, and was leaning as far back as she could in her chair, her ice cream forgotten on the table. Her eyes were fixated on him, and he could not help but notice the way that she had just the tiniest bit of ice cream stuck to her lower lip. The creamy chocolate stood out against the pale pink, and he felt a sudden and involuntary urge to lean across the table and wipe it.

Panicking, he tried to divert his attention towards his ice cream, but the red colour reminded him of her lips. The urge was becoming almost unbearable now. It was almost as if he was possessed. He found that he had involuntarily begun to lean towards her, and, panicking, he let out a single, meaningless word "What?"

That word seemed to snap her out of her stupor, and she suddenly jerked forward, hands lowering from the table onto her lap. Her pink tongue darted out to lick the little bit of chocolate cream on her lips unconsciously, and he soundlessly groaned as he realized what his body wanted.

He wanted to kiss her.

It was an insane, completely impossible wish. She was going to be married to his brother in less than a year, and then she would become his sister-in-law. These were the words that he recited every single time before they met, and they helped him overcome this incomprehensible, powerful attraction towards her, but tonight, tonight was different. There was something else, something subtle, in the air. He couldn't understand it. Perhaps it was a mixture of the atmosphere, perhaps his body had just simply lost control, but all he knew was that he couldn't withstand it anymore.

He wanted to kiss her.

For weeks he had shied away from that sentence, fearing himself to be a bad brother, but tonight, tonight he finally allowed himself to say it, even if it was just in his mind. He admitted, bowed in to his attraction towards her, accepted that there was something about this girl which drew him in and kept him there. He knew that it was the highest branches of treason even to think about it, that he was not only violating his own brother's trust but also his family's, but in his thoughts, he could not keep himself contained any longer. He had been in denial for far too long, and his mind yearned to be free, to accept the storm that it had just subjected itself to. His entire life, he had seen his brother take everything, power, affection, position, prestige, and he had begrudged him for each and every single one of them. Initially, he had tried to convince himself that his attraction towards Hinata was only because she was to be married to his brother, only because he somehow, subconsciously wanted to hurt Itachi, and berated himself for being a bad brother. However, tonight he accepted that his attraction towards her was more than any subconscious, childish wish to hurt his brother, but was rooted in a much deeper, much more sensual attraction. _Everything _she did was desirable to him – the way she bit her lip, the way she tilted her head just so, the way she pushed her hair behind her ears – very single action of hers made him grow more and more attracted to her, until it had reached a breaking point, and just flooded through.

He tried to rein himself in, to control himself, recognizing that if he committed some action now, then he would have violated Hinata's trust, but it was hard, and he found himself leaning forward when she slowly raised her eyes and asked him, in a voice o meager that it could have been the barest whisper of wind among dry maple leaves on a sunny day, what was the flavour of his ice cream.

Momentarily disconcerted, he jerked back, pulled from his pit of misery and desire back into the real world. He _couldn't _kiss her now, not only because of his family, but also because _she _wouldn't want it. Sasuke was no gentleman, but even he had a certain moral code to live by, and forcing himself on unsuspecting girls, especially girls he liked, was definitely a violation of aforementioned code.

"Tomato," he replied simply, voice slightly hoarse due to a combination of his tremendous mental ordeal and the extreme cold of his ice cream. The sweet flavour was not one that he was particularly fond of, preferring sour items, but since it was tomato, it was acceptable to him. The attraction towards the vegetable that really was a fruit was rooted deep in his memories and emotions, stemming from vague recollection of a warm, smiling woman handing him one while stirring a pot in a vast kitchen, her cheeks hollow from repeated illness, but still working her heart out for her husband and children. Although Sasuke had very little recollections of his mother, she was still particularly close to his heart, as her warm, self-sacrificing nature had managed to make a deep indent in his heart. Perhaps it was in those qualities that his attraction to Hinata lay, for if he ever found anyone who was as close to being self-sacrificing as his mother was, it would be Hinata.

Said Hyuuga currently looked incredulous. "T-Tomato?" she asked hesitantly, as if unable to believe that he indeed was taking a sweet treat made from the bright scarlet fruit. "Isn't it slightly sour, though? The flavour wouldn't mix with something as sweet as cream…" she trailed off.

He took another spoonful of his ice cream. "I don't like sweet things. I'm just taking this because its tomato flavored."

"Oh." Hinata became quiet again, silently swirling what was left of her ice cream around her. He took another spoonful of his double scoop.

"I'm sorry", she said suddenly, surprising him. "I shouldn't have assumed that it would taste bad. I think the tomato would rather complement the cream, in fact. They would be good together." She smiled sweetly.

He was blind for a second, overwhelmed by the power of that simple, sweet smile. He caught his breath as the last rays of the sun caught her face, illuminating her skin and making her hair shine like the darkest gloss. By God, she was beautiful.

And as sweet as cream, too.

He took another spoonful of his preferred treat, letting the flavour simmer in his mouth. Perhaps another reason for his attraction towards the fruit was the similarity between their sour natures.

He was sour, she was sweet.

Perhaps, if there was any luck and hope in the world, they could be.

Perhaps tomatoes and cream _could _really combine to create something lovely.

* * *

**So, my excuses start here.**

**I accidentally dropped my laptop and smashed the front screen, so I had no computer.**

**When I got another computer, I had writer's block.**

**That's it. Please don't kill me.**

**Oh, and don't throw tomatoes either. After all, we all know how important they are *winks*.**

**Please, please, please review. Reviews inspire me to write. Writing means new chapters come faster.**

**~conorlover~**


	16. Sand Politics

**Yes, I know that it has been an indecently long time, but I have a lot of good excuses.**

**Firstly, I am in the tenth grade. This is a SUPER important grade in my country.**

**Secondly, they recently changed our education system to this awful parody of hell.**

**Thirdly, I have been seriously sick.**

**Fourthly, I had exams.**

**And fifthly, this story is beginning to give me writer's block.**

**That's all. I won't waste any more of your time.**

**Disclaimer applies, as usual.**

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Chapter 16

Sand Politics

The sand was ever-present and ever-changing, unstable, shifting, just like himself.

He had the ability to adapt. He had always known it, from the very moment that he was born – no, from the very moment when Shukaku had been inserted inside his body, even inside his mother's womb. He was like the sand – restless, uncontrollable, wild, proud, and free.

His entire family believed in the elemental qualities and differences of a person. Every person belonged to a different element, broadly categorized into five major distinctions, but really holding individual qualities that made one completely unique. No two people were exactly the same. They had grown up with that philosophy, and they believed in it with their heart and soul.

He was sand. There was really no other way to describe him. People might wear their tongues out coming up with new adjectives to describe him – cold, bloodthirsty, kind, trustworthy, evil – but nothing, no simple word, could describe him as sand. He was sand, and sand was him. They were one, and together.

It was this very sand that blew uneasily around his feet today as he was to leave it. He could feel the fright of the earth, the unwillingness to give up a part of itself, no matter for how short a time. The uneasiness of his element was mirrored in Gaara himself – he, too, was averse to the idea of leaving his strength and soul. However, what must be done, has to be done, and besides, he had an obligation which he had to fulfill. It was the way of the shinobi to honour all their promises, and nobody understood that better than the sand.

"Soon, old friend," he muttered, his voice so low that none but the recipient could hear the words that he uttered, partially for his lifelong companion and partly to reassure himself. "I will be back soon, with my duties and obligations fulfilled. But, as for now, I must ensure your safety. No blood shall be spilt on your hallowed surface."

His silent communication with the only constant in his ever-changing life was interrupted by the sound of a footstep from behind. Gaara immediately stiffened, and a part of him – the part that was attuned to years of murder and genocide, to killing innocent people and being wary of everything around him, because otherwise he himself could die – immediately flashed several scenarios as to how to respond to that innocuous sound. Bloodlust clawed at his chest, long since accustomed to being granted its every wish, begging for release and fulfillment of its objective.

He quelled the tremor with a great deal of difficulty. He had changed since before – he may still be bound inextricably to the sand, but he was in no way in the presence of Shukaku. The few habits and paths that Shukaku had left behind him were rapidly being changed, forced to fit the viewpoint of a normal human. He was no longer a puppet of the bloodthirsty beast, and although his body was still accustomed to responding in the way that Shukaku deemed fit, he was slowly overcoming that handicap, trying to change his body to respond in the ways that a normal person would react in. It was with great difficulty, therefore, that he managed to control himself and not send a Sand Coffin flying at the intruder.

It was well that he did so, for the 'intruder' turned out to be no other than his own brother, Kankurou. He felt a momentary flash or irritation towards his sibling for his single-mindedness and complete and utter disregard towards other people's activities, but then again, Kankurou had never been one to understand the close relationship that an individual shared with his element. He had been dazzled by elements of fantasy and art, foregoing his natural choice to utilize one that he found more suitable for his nature.

Flighty was not how Kankurou appeared at this moment, however. If anything, anxious would be the way to describe his current state of mind. His painted face was drawn into thin lines of worry and tension, and he seemed determined to make a point in a discussion with Gaara.

Gaara internally sighed, knowing that his elder brother would not be satisfied until all his questions were answered. It was one of the reasons that the Council preferred to proceed through their decisions without him. They wanted an easy path through which they were able to carry out their own deeds and objectives, without giving a complete explanation to anyone besides themselves. Most of the time, they meant well, but sometimes their high-handedness caused a rift within themselves and the other villages, and threatened the unity of the fragile alliance in the Land of the Wind that was headed by the Sand.

Being the direct descendent of a long line of Kazekage, the traditional rulers of Sunagakure that descended by hierarchy, Kankurou was more than qualified to immediately declare himself an elder, and supervise senior departments within the system. If he wanted, he could also challenge Gaara's claim to the seat of the Kazekage – however, the Constitution that was drawn up at the birth of the Village clearly stated that only the strongest, most competent male heir of the original Kazekage was eligible for the honour of being declared the leader of the Sand Village and the Wind Alliance. Although elder by birth, Kankurou was by no means stronger than his volatile younger brother, and thus had gracefully refused the position offered to him. He did occasionally supplement as Acting Kazekage whenever Gaara was incapable of performing his duties, but such incidents were few and far between. The brother of the leader, therefore, mostly utilized his abilities to serve his country by acting as an active shinobi, despite reservations and protests from family and the council.

Kankurou did not tend to meddle in the decisions of the council. He believed that his brother was not a pushover who would allow any malicious acts to be passed which would hurt his country. He believed in his former sensei, Baki, to guide his brother through the intricate passages of politics in which lay the underbelly of his country. However the decision that the Council had made this time was not only dubious, it was downright shady. As a citizen of Suna, he felt obliged to question whether this course of action was really the best to take.

"Brother," Gaara said in a monotone, acknowledging his younger brother. He steeled himself for the tough questions that Kankurou, as a citizen of Suna, was no doubt entitled to ask. The Kazekage worked for the benefit of the people, and the people deserved to know the actions and meanings of their country's leaders. It was a duty that he did his best to embrace and honour.

Kankurou was formal, as befitting someone who was, however unofficially, demanding for a release of information from a high-ranked government official. "Kazekage-sama," he started in a tone befitting his statement. "As a righteous and blood-authoritative Council member, I request to question the moral and literal sensibilities of the pact that we are entering into."

Gaara mentally sighed. Even though he knew that these questions would arise, he still felt a sort of mournfulness for the fact that he would be asked them again and again. Turning around to look at the vast expanse of the desert, he silently gestured for Kankurou to continue.

Taking courage at this meager sign of encouragement, Kankurou continued more passionately. "Gaara, what you're doing, it could destroy the entire village! You have no idea what the implications of this kind of arrangement can be –"

"Kankurou," Gaara interrupted in a bland, bored voice. He had anticipated this. "I assure you that the Council and I have weighed the pros and cons of the situation very carefully, and found this to be the best route to take during the present situation."

"Really? Because it looks like me like you haven't thought this through at all!" Kankurou shouted, losing his patience and his temper. His face was turning an alarming shade of red. "You know what happened to the Star. You know that if we submit to them then we can never get out. Konoha is a fine ally, I'll admit that. It comes to your rescue, and it sends aid. But it is not a fine master to submit to, Gaara. We are Suna, the leader of the deserts. We lead the Wind Alliance, Gaara. We are weak enough as it is – don't you think that we will appear even weaker if we submit to another country right now?"

"I admit that we are weak as of now. I admit that we needed assistance. But that's all we need – assistance. Our shinobi are perfectly capable of defending our walls. If only Konoha would send some more aid, we would be able to hold our own. There is no _reason _for us to submit to their demands. If we do that, if we really become a protected state under Konohagakure, then not only will we lose all respect from the rest of the five great states, even _our _subordinates would be hard-pressed to obey us."

And do you have any idea of the financial implications? Konoha may appear all nice and dandy at first, but they are wolves disguised in sheepskin. The sheer amount of gold and textiles they will ask for will be astounding – they will ruin our economy! And when they have financially crippled us, we will be at even more danger, not only from outsiders, but from complete bankruptcy. Then they will offer us financial assistance. We will have no choice but to accept. When we try to get out of this arrangement, they will claim considerable financial reimbursement, which they know we will not be able to provide. Having no choice, we will either never be able to terminate the arrangement, or we will have to go to war with them. The broken spirits of our people and our financially crippled economy will make the war difficult to win, especially against their large coffers, and thus, we will lose, and they will colonize us!"

"Kankurou!" Gaara reprimanded sharply. His brother was going into hysterics, his imagination spiraling out of control, and for an action-first-ask-questions-later type of person like Kankurou, that was never a good thing. "Compose yourself first, and then express your views. If you are unable to do so, then send somebody else to ask your questions."

"It is true that the current policy has many reservations," he continued, his voice becoming somewhat softer. "We will be basically offering ourselves as prisoners to Konoha. However, you have to understand that at this point in our nation's affairs, we have absolutely no other option. We are physically very weak. The surprise attack by the unknown shinobi upon our village has greatly decimated its defense. A few good shinobi remain, but we are no match for another attack. Konoha has provided great assistance during these trying months. Most of our medical and rebuilding aid has come from their side. But even Konoha cannot afford to send their shinobi here permanently. There has been a rumour flying around recently that Konoha fears another attack by the Sound. They have withdrawn nearly all of their shinobi back into their ranks, bracing for another attack. The one five years ago was very harmful to them, and they cannot risk another loss like that."

"Konoha is, at this point of time, the strongest shinobi village. Akatsuki may have the strongest fighters, but they cannot be called a village. They are an organization. The Sound calls itself a village, but without a Grass and Lightning alliance, they will not be able to stand up against the combined strength of the Leaf and the Mist. Moreover, the Sound fears Akatsuki – for some reason, they are enemies."

"A few months ago, we too may have been counted in the ranks of one of the greatest shinobi villages. But no more. We have suffered too many losses to be truly counted among those ranks anymore. Even the Wind Alliance fears our demise."

"There are six shinobi villages, as you know. Most of the other countries have shinobi, but they do not base most of their activities upon these ninjas, and prefer to form alliances with other villages to defend themselves. The Wind Alliance is an example of that – the many smaller shinobi nations in the Land of the Wind are under Suna's protection. The Sand itself used to be one of the six mighty shinobi villages, along with the Leaf, the Grass, the Sound, the Mist, and the Lightning. The Sound is a rogue village, headed by Orochimaru, a missing-nin from Konoha. He has openly declared war on Konoha. Five years ago, with assistance from the Sand, he attacked Konoha, only to be repulsed, but at a great cost – Konoha lost its Third Hokage, Sarutobi-san. After the war, Konoha drew an alliance with Suna, forming a mutually inclusive bond. Konoha is also in a pact with the Mist village."

"It is the Grass and the Lightning that are the other worries. The two other villages have been fairly unresponsive towards us and the Mist, but are rather frosty towards the Leaf. They refuse to draw up an alliance with us as long as we are in the pact with Konoha, and seem to have unstable connections with the Sound. We cannot afford to break out of the treaty with Konoha without declaring war, and even so, the Council does not trust either the Grass, or the Lightning. The Mist has proven openly hostile towards us. In short, we have no friends but Konoha."

"We must enter into a supportive alliance with Konoha to survive. We are weak and fragile, not to mention at constant threat. We dare trust no on apart from them. They have performed all the activities that were required of them according to the current treaty. You do not understand, Kankurou – if we don't enter this, then we will _die._"

"Yes, I understand that Konoha will impose great financial dues on us. Yes, I understand that they will monopolize our trade. Yes, I understand that this exact situation took place before with the Star. But the Star is not a Great Village, Kankurou. The Star is a mediocre village that took the protection of one of the Great shinobi Villages, but we are not as defenseless as they are. They knew what they were getting into, and they also knew that if they did not pay their dues, then Konoha would abandon them to the elements and their enemies. But Konoha cannot do the same to us. We are much stronger than the Star Village, even in our weakened state. Besides, Konoha understands very well that if they impose harsh penalties on us, then we will have no choice but to seek assistance from either the Grass or the Lightning, which will be detrimental to their foreign relations. Konoha will play it safe with us – they are no fools."

Kankurou sighed, clearly unhappy with the outcome of their situation. He was no particular fan of Konoha, and the fact that he had to bow to them just made his hatred that much stronger. However, he was an intelligent man, and understood his brother's logic. He would always campaign and search for a solution from this predicament that his Village found itself in, but he knew that for the time being, this was the only way that his bowed village could truly take the steps needed for its rehabilitation.

"I understand," he said, somewhat sulkily. "But will Konoha be hospitable enough to receive us? If they truly are in a state of emergency like you said, then won't they be suspicious of any outsiders, especially anybody from the Sand?"

Gaara reverted his gaze back the vast reaches of the desert. On the very horizon, he could see a fuzzy dark line, which he knew to be trees. The trees that marked the beginning of the Land of Fire. "Konoha trusts us. Arrangements for our stay have already been made."

"So where will we be staying? The Hokage's guest rooms? Those places are shit," Kankurou stated flatly, remembering the less-than-stellar commodities provided in the government-funded rooms.

Gaara shook his head. "The Hokage has arranged for us to be staying with one of their Great Clans. We'll be residing with Hiashi Hyuuga."

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Something was very wrong.

It was a vague inclination, a meaningless thought that had first occurred when the entire contingent from Suna had returned so unexpectedly, but now it was almost confirmed. The Hokage was calling all the shinobi home, and was fortifying the village on top of that. She didn't understand what was happening, but she knew for sure that something was up. The village was on high alert, and was failing miserably in trying to keep it concealed.

Her team's patrol's had been increased nearly fourfold, and Kiba and Shino had stopped going on any missions. Now all they had was guard duty. Hinata, being a medic, was not needed for the watch, but the patrols, combined with her training, were making sleep a difficult commodity to come by nowadays.

And here it was. The cherry on the top. The fact that confirmed all her suspicions.

"Why do you have to go on an S-Rank mission now?" The sentence was said in an almost suspicious tone, poorly disguised as nonchalant.

Itachi looked impassive, but she could see a steady tick in his jaw. Having been in his company so often for the past few weeks, she was learning to recognize the little signs of emotion that betrayed his inner state of mind.

"An S-Rank can come up at any time. It is the duty of a shinobi to uphold his traditions."

He was forbidden to say anything. All ANBU personnel were. Only they knew of the true nature of the alert, and were forbidden from revealing it to anybody else, not even another shinobi. As for genin, chuunin, jounin, and ROOT – well, they were still in the dark. Hinata often wondered if they were waiting for something to happen before they revealed the threat to the rest of the shinobi ranks.

"Forgive me, Itachi-san. I must have seemed impetuous. It's just that you have barely returned from an S-Rank, and now you are returning to another. The ANBU law states that a shinobi must have at least a fortnight of rest before he embarks on another B+ level mission, but you have been here for scarcely a week."

Being the heiress of a wealthy and prominent clan, Hinata was expected to keep up to date with all the current affairs and laws. The ANBU law that she mentioned was one that she had first read when she was nine years old, and one that she frequently heard mentioned by the few members of ANBU she knew. Everyone seemed very thankful for it.

Itachi was impassive as always. She had not even managed to stir him. "In some special cases, the ANBU law has to be foregone in order to maintain security."

Bingo! He had fallen right into the trap. "So is it a special case, now? Is there something up that makes it necessary for even ANBU personnel to be tired out and reused? Something that the rest of the village knows nothing about?"

Itachi raised a fine eyebrow at the sudden barrage of questions. She blushed, feeling blood beginning to warm her cheeks, and her heart beginning to thump erratically. This had been happening every time he smiled or made some other gesture towards her. It was almost like being around Naruto again, but it couldn't possibly be that, could it?

No, of course not! Itachi was her fiancé. She was probably blushing because she was afraid of having asked too much. Or maybe because it really was very warm today. It always seemed to be very warm when she was in the same place as him.

For some reason, she couldn't help but noticing his attire today. She blushed, her eyes straying from his pronounced collarbones to his well-defined chest, visible beneath his form-fitting ANBU fishnet. She could deny that he really was very well-made. His shoulders were muscular, but not like a weightlifters – they had a lean, leonine beauty to them. _He _had a lean, leonine beauty to him. She knew that she wasn't the first to think so – he had an enormous fanclub in this village, rivaled only by his brother's.

He dipped his head just a little, taking a sip of his chamomile tea. They were sitting out in a café, under an umbrella, as Hinata had impetuously announced that it was too sunny and bright to be sitting inside. Gone were the days of non-communication and formality. They were both dressed in casual clothes, him in his ANBU shirt and shinobi pants, and her in her medic's outfit. He seemed to be pondering ways to change the topic of conversation, but while she would usually have been slightly sulky at this evasion, she couldn't mind today, not when the sun was glittering on his dark, silky hair, highlighting the strong lines in his face, his fantastic cheekbones, his jawline, and that perfect, toned body hidden beneath that black shirt…

No! Stop! This was Itachi she was talking about. Itachi who just so happened to be her fiancé.

Exactly. Her fiancé. Not her brother, or her cousin, or any relative of hers. Not her friend's boyfriend. He was her fiancé, which, by the definition given in the Dignified Scholar's Dictionary, meant that he was engaged to be married to her. _Her. _Not anybody else. He was off-limits to everybody else. She should have full rights to ogle him if she wanted.

Wait a minute. Ogle? She wasn't _ogling _him. She _couldn't _ogle him, rather, because Hinata Hyuuga couldn't ogle. Hinata Hyuuga could blush, she could faint, squeak, stutter, and do a million other embarrassing things, but she could not ogle. Therefore, by the rule of all that's Right and Proper in this world, shy, virginal Hinata Hyuuga could not be ogling her handsome, oblivious fiancé, Itachi Uchiha.

He looked up suddenly, his dark eyes probing into hers, and she felt her heart start doing overtime. Honestly, what was the matter with it? She was going to have a heart-attack soon, at this rate. She was also acutely embarrassed with the idea that somehow, with his superhuman shinobi hearing, he could discern the faster pace of her heart, and was laughing at her inside.

But why should he laugh? Her heart beating fast had nothing to do with him, after all. It was all because of the heat. The heat was the problem, after all. She should have asked to go inside.

The lie sounded feeble even to her own mental ears. Medic she was, she knew that just sitting outside sipping cool tea under an umbrella on a warm day was not enough to get your heart to beat fast. But she was in denial, and like all persons in denial, she came up with the first and most viable excuse that occurred to her. Besides, it sounded better to say that her heart was beating faster because of the sun than because of a hidden toxin in the chamomile tea. And definitely better than saying it was because his dark eyes had a little bit of concern and care in them right now. Oh god, those onyx orbs were to die for. No wonder every female in the village fell for Uchiha men.

And she was blabbering again. She saw his mouth form words that were spoken to her, but her fascination with the perfection of his mouth moving so, well, perfectly, was so great that she could not discern that simple fact. She only realised that he had spoken to her when her internal 'lets-die-of-embarrassment-now' clock informed her that she had been staring at him for a good five minutes.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" she said, blushing profusely at having been caught staring and startling herself out of her weird fascination.

He looked concerned now, and leaned forward to rest one hand on her forehead. She startled at the sudden contact, turning even redder.

"You look warm, Hinata. Are you sure, you're feeling alright?" Her experienced ears caught an undercurrent of worry in his voice.

"I'm quite all right! Very much so!" She sounded like Naruto, only on caffeine. Her only saving grace was that she didn't stutter.

Itachi frowned, clearly not convinced, but before he could say anything, she quickly changed the subject to the delicious mango and peach splice found at this café.

They were just about to order the aforementioned peach and mango splice when a messenger arrived for Itachi, demanding his presence at the Hokage's office immediately. Hinata watched him go with a sinking heart, knowing that he may be sent on another mission, and that she may not see him for weeks on end now. Because, if serving no other purpose than making her appear even more of a fool than she was, these meetings actually did make her realize one thing…

She liked being with Uchiha Itachi.

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**And that, folks, will be it.**

**I'll try to update soon, but no guarantees. Reviews inspire me, and make me want to write more. *Insert grin***

**Any and all questions/queries will be answered in reviews or PM's, so feel free to ask away.**

**I hope you liked it.**

**~conorlover~**


	17. Revelations: Part One

**A few points before you go on to read.**

**1) I know this chapter may seem a little late and a little odd, but, judging by the massive amount of writer's block that I'm going through, I think it's okay.**

**2) Please disregard the action scenes. I can't write action at all, so if it makes you gag and faint, please don't throw rotten tomatoes at me.**

**3) This story is officially in its third and last phase now. From now on, things will move fairly quickly, and then it will end. This is the longest story I have ever written. However, I would like to point out that the third phase in itself is quite long, and may take quite a bit of time to finish.**

**4) I received a rather disorienting review the other day. It said something along the lines of why there should not be an engagement ceremony, and the fact that "they are ninja, they kill." I think this is taking a rather small-minded approach to the whole matter. Notably, it was also anonymous, so I will be replying here.**

**Every civilisation on earth has its own customs and traditions. The Naruto world is no different. I would like to point out that they had festivals and a funeral for the Third Hokage. This is a characteristic feature of all human civilisations. Its what marks them as humans. And they are humans, even if Naruto and Gaara are part-demon.**

**Also, they may be shinobi, but they also have emotions and feelings. Yes, they kill, but they also fall in love. They also care about each other. Their occupation is killing, but it doesn't define them. Each person is multi-faceted, and they are not bound by their occupation.**

**So, if you want to read a story where shinobi are mechanical robots and only roam about killing everybody, then I'm sorry, you've come to the wrong place. I can't show constant death and disembowelment, especially not without any other form of emotional involvement. Please find another author who can do so.**

**5) I have a proposal for interested parties below. It is posted at the bottom of the page. I hope to see some takers. Please PM me or mention it in a review if you have any questions and they will be immediately answered.**

**6) Review! I'm so very close to 200 reviews, and I want to see if I can make it to three hundred before this story finishes. Please, please help me out in this.**

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

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Chapter 17

Revelations: Part 1

Jumping from tree to tree, speeding forward effortlessly.

It sounded like a rhyme.

It actually was a rhyme. It was something that his old colleague, Harake, used to say while they were making haste towards their mission setting. He had jumped and whooped while saying it, looking rather like a schoolboy than a 26-year old ANBU personnel. He rather reminded Itachi of Naruto in that context. Both had that same exuberant vitality and the silly niceness.

Of course, the last time Harake had said this was just before he had been blown up into millions of pieces by a hidden explosive parchment.

But Itachi was being morbid.

Morbidity was his _thing _nowadays. You could almost associate Itachi would morbid. Heck, you could probably use the words as synonyms.

This rather depressing behavior had all started ever since a certain Hokage had invited a certain highly-noninclusive group of Konoha for a Very Urgent Announcement. The VUA consisted of the Hokage basically informing the ANBU (also known as the Hokage's shoelickers) of a Very Serious Threat Against The Village.

So Itachi, being the unsuspecting, innocent, poor, naïve lamb that he was (not), had attended the VUA meeting. Of course, if he had refused, he would be finding himself hung by his pink polka-dotted boxers from the window of the Hokage's room.

Which would have been a disaster for his reputation, he was sure. After all, how were people supposed to feel fear and intimidation from a person hanging seventy feet above the ground in his pink polka-dotted boxers?

All talks of boxers aside, he had, as a good citizen and a sane person, attended the VUA. Only to fing out about the VSTATV.

And yes, that stood for Very Serious Threat Against The Village, thank you very much.

Then the depression had started. Because Itachi, having above-normal intelligence, had interpreted the Hokage's words correctly. Namely, the fact that the Hokage was announcing this to _only _the ANBU directly translated into "You who have been foolish enough to risk your asses by joining the most thankless and underpaid job in the world, it is you now who have to suffer by going on extra missions and not being able to sleep properly until my flawed information-gatherers can tell me that there is no more threat left in any part of the world."

And so Itachi, who was a member of that unfortunate group, was currently trudging along on a mission to the Snow village.

It didn't help that it was the dead of winter and that they were walking in two feet of snow.

Especially when considering the fact that right now he could have been sitting in warm, balmy Konoha and enjoying an iced-tea with his fiancée.

_Fiancée. _The word sent odd shivers up his spine. Slightly tingly, the way your hand becomes after you've cut off blood circulation to it for too long. At first he had been wondering if this was because of a medical condition, and had even visited the hospital to search for any signs of impending paralysis.

A female intern at the hospital had checked him. And run away madly blushing and giggling when he had explained the supposed trigger.

Women were weird.

He, being a person of Above Average Intelligence, was usually smart enough never to group an entire subspecies under a single umbrella definition, but this particular characteristic certainly qualified for each member of this particular category. Each member of the human female race had certain definitive characteristics that made her out of the ordinary, and not in an easy manner. It only served to highlight their difference from the ordinary primate, who had very fixed behavioral patterns, and made then that much harder to be studied by a group of elite psychoanalysts and zoologists. Because, while there were some similarities in the behavioral patterns, most of it went down the drain because of the sheer expanse of the various ways they reacted to a situation.

Take, for example, the same setting with various different women as the subject. A man, being temporarily hormonally imbalanced, made, in vernacular, a 'move' upon a woman. It was, in short, a sort of a mating call exclusive to the male genus of the human species. While varying in vocabulary and style, all of these attempts had roughly the same purpose and movement in mind. A woman's reaction, however, varied dramatically.

The Hokage would probably take a desk to the poor chap. Her assistant, Shizune, would blush, but very firmly inform the offender that she didn't think it appropriate. His colleague, Anko, would loudly and rudely embarrass that perpetrator. His fiancée, Hinata, would blush and faint. His brother's rabid fan, Sakura, would probably punch them into the sky. His brother's _other _rabid fan, Ino, would flirt and agree. And the jounin Kurenai would give a warm, motherly smile, while explaining that she was married, and that her husband would gladly unman anyone who dared to make a move on her, so hush and run along now.

The variety of response was stunning. This made a clear, concise scientific analysis extremely hard to derive, marking women as one of the hardest specimens to date.

Not that he would ever call women specimens in public. No, that should be considered sexist, wouldn't it? Not to mention that the Hokage would gladly unman _him. _And do some damage thereafter.

Anyway, getting back to the persistently elusive point, he was depressed. Even full of angst, if he was to romanticize a little bit. This arose from the following facts:

1) He had not had a decent break between his missions. All emergency rules were compromised, and he had been deemed necessary to work for the welfare of the village. Basically, all his civic and work rights were indefinitely suspended. They were in a state of emergency.

2) He was ploughing through an extremely cold wasteland in a certain part of the snow country for no particular reason but to verify the death of a supposedly-unimportant missing-nin.

3) He was away from his fiancée. He wasn't sure why this would contribute to his misery, but it did, and he wasn't in a healthy enough physical state to compel his mind into wondering why.

4) His younger brother, was, for some reason, befriending his fiancée. Now this wasn't a cause for concern, but the fact that it had happened so suddenly – starting in this past year, in fact – and that Sasuke was attempting to hide it from him was slightly worrying. But to hell with that – he was most likely trying to make the transition into his family a little less awkward and painful.

5) His teammate, Mitarashi Anko, had stolen all of his food supplies. He would have easily have obtained them back if it were not for the fact that they were now resting half-digested in her duodenum, mixed with her saliva, hydrochloric acid, mucus, pepsin, bile juice, pancreatic amylase, trypsin, and all the other juices secreted by her digestive canal up to that point in the digestive tract.

6) They were basically foodless, and would not be able to travel for more than twenty miles in this weather, thus making them effectively hungry tonight. They would go to bed with only extra secretions of hydrochloric acid in their stomachs.

7) He was slightly angry about having been sent _out _of the village when he clearly should have stayed behind and guarded it, being one of its most capable shinobi. This was a repeat of the incident five years ago. He had been assigned to Level-B escort duty, and, as a result, had failed to protect his village during the combined Sand-Sound attack, marooned in the Mist Village as he was. He would never be able to shake of the feeling, no matter how conceited it was, that _maybe _if he had been in the village, the Third Hokage wouldn't have died.

8) His hand stung from the shallow knife wound that he had accidentally inflicted upon himself in the morning. The medic in his team had offered to apply some peanut and almond balm to it, only to discover that Anko had consumed all the edible medicines also.

9) He felt like being miserable and depressed.

All in all, Itachi Uchiha was having a Bad Day. He did not normally have a Bad Day, but when he did, he redefined the phrase 'pissed off'.

Which meant that anybody who dared to attack them better watch out. He was not liable for any injuries sustained by the opposing party. And he certainly wasn't liable if they turned into mincemeat in the process.

* * *

Swish, flick, duck, jump.

A flash to her right. She resisted the natural urge to squeal and reveal her position, instead shifting her angle to get a better view of her opponent through the spiny leaves of the trees. Nothing in the field area. It was becoming increasingly hard to resist the urge to use her Byakugan.

A sound to her back. Move, fast, through the trees. Substitution jutsu. A crack as her substitution was caught. Move faster, beneath the shrubbery. Look out. Nothing.

Crawl nearer to the tree. Careful not to make any sound or he will be right beside you. Slight wood showing through the moss on the trunk. He's here. Increase self-awareness level to full maximum.

A slight whoosh of air to her left. Move, now. Jump high in the air, dodge three kunai approaching from east. Slight glint. Attached to strings – a net. Slice through them, _now. _Leap, duck, run.

In the middle of the field, surrounded by trees. Byakugan seeming like an increasingly wanted commodity now. Straining her eyes, frustration mounting for want of her kekkai genkai. Nothing. Up, east, west, south, north. Nothing. That meant…

Leap into the air as the ground cracks from beneath your feet. Arrange yourself in defensive position. Kunai, shuriken. No Gentle Fist, no Byakugan. Bummer.

Slight flick to the right. Kunai again. Thank god he wasn't using his Sharingan. She would have been dead by now.

Swirl, dash, whirl around. Check the back. Nothing. In hiding, then.

A light chirp. Distraction. Concentrate harder, otherwise he'll get you. A slight movement to the right. Now, faster, run there. Hand out, grab his neck, slam against a tree. Finished.

If anyone else had happened to enter that training ground right at that very moment, then they would no doubt have been very surprised to see a fierce-looking Hinata Hyuuga holding Sasuke Uchiha by his neck against a tree.

Luckily for Sasuke, however, it happened to be a balmy Wednesday today. And everyone knows that balmy Wednesday's are meant for leisurely spooning with one's spouse in bed or sipping ice-cold lemonade at the closest corner-shop. So he didn't have any witnesses to document his humiliation.

Well, there were a few. A mother cuckoo saw him and let out a triumphant trill, almost as if she had been waiting for this moment for all her life.

Hinata certainly knew that she had been waiting for this moment for all of _hers._

It had been seven months since he had started training her, only four left to go until her ultimate showdown against Hanabi. And today was the first and only time when she felt like she had a shot at it. That maybe she could finally beat Hanabi and regain what little pride she had, take control of her life, maybe even guide her leadership instead of being a complete walkover.

Sasuke, for that matter, looked absolutely flabbergasted. His mouth was hanging open as she herself took in the scene of her hand wrapped around his throat, pinning him against a tree. Then his face split into a smile – a _smile_, not a smirk – and he said, with pride ringing in every word "Well done!"

It surprising how a few words can make us come down to our knees. Psychologists think that this is usually due to some deep-seated desire. Some people need entire long sentences, some need pages of loving words to feel what they had been deprived of for so long. For Hinata, however, these two words – well done – were enough. She let go of him, and with a cry of surprise, slid to the ground, on her knees, tears running down her surprised face.

Ever since she was a child, she had thirsted for those words. Every day, every moment was spent trying to please her father, trying to get him to notice her, to feel proud of her, to love her. She wanted to be an asset, not a liability, and so she had strained herself, working night and day to earn his approval, and to hear two words that she had been thirsting for since forever – well done.

Even in her team, where she was so much weaker than Kiba or Shino, she had waited for those words. Kurenai had been the best teacher possible, loving her as if she were her own daughter, encouraging her, but Kurenai's focus had been on mainly protecting her from her father, and, as a result, she had never really taken time to oversee Hinata's training. Even in the chuunin exams, Kurenai had been disappointed that Kiba had failed, not her. When Hinata had expressed her frustration at her defeat, Kurenai had said that it didn't matter, nobody was expecting her to win, she should just be proud that she did her best.

Those words, meant to soothe and comfort, had been so bitter that they had poisoned her very soul. They merely confirmed what Hinata had been trying to hide from herself for her entire life – that it didn't matter. Nobody was expecting her to win, nobody had enough confidence in her. To some, like Kurenai, it didn't matter, because she saw Hinata as a daughter, not as a student. To her father, it did, because she was shaming the clan and bringing disgrace upon the Hyuuga name. But even so, nobody had been expecting her to win. She had already been given up on, discarded as a lost cause.

It was this very sentiment that had led for her to be picked as Itachi's bride. Hinata respected Itachi, enjoyed his company, and liked him even, but she was never able to look at him without feeling a little resentment. He himself wasn't at fault, but every time she looked at him, she was reminded of the fact that their bond had been forged by the fact that she was too weak. She was useless for anything other than marrying off and having babies, a worthless high-society housewife. It displayed her clan's utter lack of faith in her abilities. She was just another tool to them, just another proposal, just another business opportunity. They saw this option of casting her off, and they grabbed it eagerly, almost desperate to have her off their hands. Because maybe if she wasn't with them anymore, they wouldn't be constantly reminded of just how big a failure she was.

But today she wasn't a failure. Today she had won, had defeated Uchiha fucking Sasuke for God's sake. She had exceeded everybody's expectations, and had proved them – those critics, those vultures – wrong. She was strong, goddammit, and she was going to showcase her strength and ability to its full strength.

She was still crying on the forest floor, with a panicky Sasuke beside her, trying to figure out what was wrong, and handing her tissue after tissue, fumbling nervously. She felt a sudden rush of affection for him. Sasuke. A formerly unknown person, who had morphed into such a good friend of hers. He was the one who had made this day possible for her. He was the one who had pushed her beyond her limit, strengthened her from inside out, and the one who had helped her reach this pinnacle.

And even though Sasuke would never know it, he had performed a miracle today.

He was the first person ever to say "Well done" to Hinata.

* * *

To say that Sasuke Uchiha was flabbergasted would be making the understatement of the century.

You see, the word 'flabbergasted' suggested a certain limit to the amount of surprise tingeing our system. Above that level, the word to describe that feeling hadn't been coined yet. And it was exactly that same uncoined word that was running through his mind as of this moment.

You see, Sasuke Uchiha was very like his brother, even if he hated him. Without ever discussing the topic with him, his mind moved in similar circles. And what his mind had deduced as of this moment was that women were, without a doubt, the strangest creatures on the planet.

You see, since morning, Sasuke Uchiha had been subject to the many different mood swings that were experienced by women. He had been subject to Sakura's undying and extremely annoying affections (because they had patrol duty at dawn), Tsunade's harsh remonstrations (because Naruto had made enough noise to wake even hibernating bears), Ino's fangirly squeals (because they - that is, him and Naruto – had run into her team when they were having breakfast at Ichiraku's), and finally, Hinata's rapid change of emotions.

And, even though the list above suggested otherwise, Sasuke found that today, Hinata was the one who confused him most.

She had been quiet as always when he had first met up with her, smiling shyly and stuttering just a little, but had seemed to regain some of her confidence when they had been fighting. She had fought well – really well – and then, when she had finally managed to defeat him for the first time ever, she had burst into tears.

And now he was hovering like a pathetic butterfly over a bawling girl who just so happened to be engaged to his brother, and who he himself happened to be in love with. Not to mention, a Hyuuga, his mortal enemy, and the Hyuuga heiress at that, highly guarded and treasured. Her guards would follow the 'kill first, ask questions later' policy if they saw her like this.

"Please, please stop crying," he muttered desperately, flitting around like a worried mother hen, wringing his hands. "Hinata, I'm begging you, please stop crying. Just tell me what's wrong, and I'll fix it, I swear."

But she went on bawling as if she hadn't heard a single word. Which was highly likely, considering the amount of noise she was making.

A particularly high-pitched wail hit his ears, and he flinched. He swore loudly, only prompting her to bawl harder.

He swore, he loved this girl, but if she went on with this for the next two minutes, he was going to strangle her and throw her body in a ditch, consequences be damned.

She went on crying for the next ten minutes.

By the end of those ten minutes, Sasuke had officially given up on getting through to the normal, sane person hidden behind the sniveling idiot. He was sitting on a rock, holding his head in his hands, almost chanting the words "Please stop, I don't want to die. Please stop, I don't want to die. Please stop, I don't want to die…"

And that was where he was when the attack came.

* * *

Rock Lee.

That was his name, and he was proud of it. The words reminded him of youth and the power of spring.

Youth was very important to him, as was strength. These two factors were the pinnacle of success for his master and mentor, Maito Guy, and he too wanted to follow in those gigantic footsteps.

For now, however, he was abstaining from that mighty goal and merely enjoying a nice lazy day. Well, lazy for him.

He had woken up at four 'o' clock in the morning, put on some more weights on top of the 60kg that he was already carrying, and promptly raced around the field for four hundred laps. Then he had gone through the 'Intense Monkey Routine' that Gai-sensei had recommended, finishing up with 500 push-ups and a morning spar with a wooden log (which basically consisted of him chopping the log into tiny little splinters).

Beginning to feel the pangs of hunger, he had encountered an exuberant Naruto finishing up his morning meal of ramen. Through a mouthful of pork and noodles, the blond-haired shinobi had explained that originally he had ventured into this fine establishment with his excellent but rather emotionally oppressive friend/teammate/eternal rival, Uchiha Sasuke, but that Sasuke-san had already finished his meal and left early to take care of some unfinished business.

Lee, ever-willing to oblige a friend, had immediately offered to keep Naruto company while he finished his meal, all the while helpfully providing some tips to Ichiraku-san on how to make his ramen healthier and more youthful. The ramen-maker, sadly, seemed to be suffering from some sort of lung disease, as every time he opened his mouth to thank Lee for his valuable tips and guidelines, an odd sort of spluttering and choking sound used to come out in its place.

Finishing his own bowl of Super hyper! Beef and takoyaki ramen, Lee bid his eternal friend Naruto good bye, and promptly ventured to one of the more disused training grounds, that he had not seen for nearly a year.

You see, Lee was not like any other normal sane person who would be spending their Saturday's relaxing. He had the Fire of Youth in him, and he intended to utilize it to its full potential. Why waste a day when you can use it to train and become one step closer towards defeating your eternal rival (aka Hyuuga Neji)?

Upon venturing into the training ground, however, he was surprised to hear a woman's heartbreaking sobs. Being the sympathetic, pleasant man that he was, he immediately went to enquire about her safety and health, perturbed about what could make a woman cry so, especially on such a nice, youthful day.

Following his shinobi reflexes, he eventually arrived at a small clearing in the middle of the forests surrounding the training ground. And the sight that met his eyes was so peculiar that he actually gaped for a good while.

His eternal rival/ best friend's younger cousin Hyuuga Hinata was crying on the ground, while Uchiha Sasuke was sitting on the nearby log, holding his head in his hands and muttering something under his breath.

Now, Lee didn't have anything against Hinata. He quite liked her, in fact. She was his teammate Neji's cousin. She brought him tea and snacks whenever he and Tenten were over at the Hyuuga compound to practice. And, trumping all, she was important to Neji. He cared for her, protected her, and valued her. She was his little sister, and valuable to him. If he saw her crying, he would definitely not be pleased.

And if Neji was not pleased, neither was Lee.

The situation was quite obvious in this case. Hinata-san was crying, and Uchiha Sasuke was nearby. That person was an emotionless, youthless rock. The only obvious conclusion was that he had made her cry.

And so Lee did what any outraged friend would do. He attacked Uchiha Sasuke with all of his might.

Lunging forward with the strength of the Green Beast in him, he promptly tackled the Uchiha to the ground. Pummeling him with the special Four-hand taijutsu that his revered Gai-sensei had taught him, he made short work of his opponent's defenses.

Sasuke, for all that he was surprised, recovered quickly, and, throwing Lee of him, backflipped to face his opponent, quickly releasing three successive fireballs. Dodging Lee's superhuman punches, he moved to get to upper ground, where he would be safer.

Lee, for his part, was uncontrollable. He was a single-minded entity, and his goal now was to punish the man who had made his best friend's little sister cry. He attacked him with all his force, executing several double-flips, stabbing him right through his seventh rib, and inflicting several bruises.

Sasuke, who originally seemed to be holding up pretty well, was showing strain under Lee's continuous attack. The speed and strength of Lee's attacks meant that Sasuke could not retaliate with moves of his own, and absolute defence was becoming harder and harder to achieve.

Suddenly, an unexpected kick to his navel sent him flying backwards through the air. He let out a sharp gasp as his body his the gravel, feeling a fist reach through the distance to hit him in squarely in his midsection. Gasping for air, he sank to the ground, seeing a green blur move towards him helplessly.

Lee, for his part, was feeing quite victorious as he brought down the Almighty Uchiha Sasuke. Streaking forward, he moved to strike the final strike, the final punch that would knock the Uchiha unconscious and in a lot of pain, when suddenly, a scream rang through the makeshift arena.

"Stop!"

He froze instinctively, whirling around to face the speaker, only to witness Hinata-san, silvery tears still dotting her face. Her hair was askew, and she looked like she had just gone through a great trial.

"Stop," she said again, weakly lurching forward. "Lee-san, he didn't do anything, so please don't hit him. It's my fault."

Lee slowly turned around to face her, a puzzled expression showing through his expressive face. "But Hinata-san, he was trying to hurt -"

"No he wasn't," Hinata wearily interrupted. "It was my fault, I swear. He wasn't trying to hurt me at all. He's helping me, in fact."

Lee, fully confused right now, had only one question in his mind. "What do you mean? What's going on, Hinata-san?"

* * *

**Uh-oh! Hinata's in TROUBLE.**

**The rest of the conversation will be fully explained in the next chapter. I know its a cliffhanger, but please bear with me, okay?**

**Alright. Moving on to the thing I mentioned above.**

**Its sort of a contest.**

**Whoever wished to participate can take any scene in the story, and scene at all, and twist it into something funny, instead of what I did. The rules lie below.**

**1) It can be any scene, but the way it went should be quite different from the way I made it go.**

**2) It has to be humorous.**

**3) The chapter should be mentioned at the top.**

**4) Multiple scenes are allowed, but they should be segmented by a line divider and each chapter should be differently marked.**

**5) Obviously, you have to inform me if you are going to participate / have already submitted a story under this contest.**

**6) Any and all questions will be answered if you PM or review.**

**7) The deadline is 25th of November, 2010.**

**8) I would prefer a one-shot, but if you have written a multi-chapter story, then please mention that in your PM/review. **

**9) The WINNER of this challenge (who will be judged by me) will be given the opportunity to name any ONE chapter. That is, give its heading, and I will write a chapter accordingly, making it fit into this story. Either that, or they can specify a one-shot that they want me to write. They can choose either of the two options.**

**10) The person who comes in second can officially give me a topic on which I will write out a scene. That scene will be a conversation between Hinata and any other person. The second-place's choice. This includes Sasuke and Itachi as the people whom Hinata can have a conversation with. However, she can only have a conversation with ONE OTHER PERSON. **

**11) The person who comes in third can name a certain topic that they want discussed between Sasuke and some other person or Itachi and some other person. They can choose between Sasuke and Itachi (i.e. either one of them). However, this conversation cannot be between Sasuke/Itachi and Hinata. Everyone except for Hinata is possible. The third-place's choice. Again, this conversation can only be between two people, that is, Sasuke/Itachi and ANY OTHER PERSON EXCEPT HINATA.**

**I hope to see some takers. Its the first time I've done something like this, and I'm super excited about it. Hopefully, I'll get a lot of great stories to read. Please PM if you are planning to write / have already written and posted a story. **

**Good luck!**

**Oh, and review ;)**

**~conorlover~**


	18. Revelations: Part Two

**The second part of revelations, although there aren't many revelations in here.**

**Many, many thanks to my beta, Tomas the Betrayer, for making this chapter what it is. **

**Also, as a side note, I will be revising the first few chapters in the near future. Therefore, there might be a few changes in the layout, but definitely not in the plot.**

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

* * *

Chapter 18

Revelations: Part Two

The unfortunate thing about awkward conversations was they tended to be… awkward.

If the conversation in question included the very uncomfortable subject of a series of secret trysts between two future relatives involving one endeavoring to train the other, well then, the discomfort of both parties increased exponentially.

Now imagine a third party has stumbled upon the two of you together and proceeded to question you as to the nature of the situation. Add the fact that your interrogator happened to be your overprotective cousin's best friend, and also incapable of keeping a secret from said cousin to save his life, and you have been neatly presented with the shovel to start digging your own grave.

Still, better your own grave than someone else's, especially when you were indebted to that person. All Hyuuga had morals and codes to live by, after all. They may hate the Uchiha, but if there was one thing that Hiashi had taught his eldest daughter, it was to always uphold your honour and never let anybody question your clan's character.

Which was why Hinata was currently sitting on the same rock that her trainer had occupied barely half an hour previously, wringing her hands together and biting her lip, wondering as to how she might proceed with this embarrassing confession.

Across from her, Rock Lee sat unblinking, occasionally diverting his eyes to the 'villain' in this piece every once in a while. His furrowed eyebrows were now in danger of meeting over his nose and combining their prodigious mass together to form a unibrow. He was so eager to hear the explanation for this bizarre turn of events that he had even refrained from making any 'youthful' comments for the last few minutes.

For his part, Uchiha Sasuke had refrained from massacring the bowl-cut leprechaun for assaulting him. He was scowling ferociously, intending to intimidate the other male in the group, but the effect was sadly dampened because of the pout attempting to make an appearance on his lips. However, being an Uchiha, and all that this implied, Sasuke did everything he could to prevent the offending expression from making a debut, for it would undoubtedly ruin his reputation.

And so here they all were.

Hinata opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again, breathing shakily. Lee's eyebrows, if possible, became even more pronounced, and Sasuke let out a bored sigh.

Somewhere, a cuckoo cooed.

Hinata started to speak once more, let out a sound similar to 'eep', and then closed her mouth, wringing her hands as a barmaid would wring the dirty shirt thrown off by a particularly drunk customer who happened to be dancing to the blues. Lee's prodigious facial hair now threatened to engulf the rest of his face. Sasuke watched this display with a sort of dreary fascination.

The cuckoo continued its song.

Hinata tried to start a conversation, made it up to 'Uh', then gave up on vocal communication and sat licking her lips nervously. Were they actually a dish towel, her hands would now be completely wrung out of moisture. Lee's eyebrows had seemingly achieved full independence from his control and were preparing to strike out on their own against the rest of his body and the world. Sasuke vaguely wondered as to their odds.

Elsewhere, the cuckoo's performance reached a triumphant note.

At this point Sasuke lost his temper and snapped, "Oh, for God's sake, just tell him already!"

The laws of the universe are so very important that if a single deviation takes place, the entire scene changes. It was quite clear to all supernatural and natural flora and fauna present in the above scene that the balance of things, the flow, should not be interrupted. Hinata should open her mouth, let out an embarrassing sound, close it again, practice drying out cloth on her hands, and then repeat the process. Lee should let his eyebrows claim dominion over all earth and sky. Sasuke should continue to be bored by this silent interlude. And the cuckoo should rock out again and again.

But a disruption had occurred. One person had forsaken his duty along with the natural order of things. He had spoken out of turn. And so the perfect equilibrium was disturbed.

Lee shot up faster than Sasuke could say 'Boo!' and yelled, "Uchiha Sasuke! As the Green Beast of Konoha (in training), I declare you unfit to raise your voice towards the lovely and youthful flower that is Hinata-san! Your utter lack of youthfulness and determination makes you the lowest of the low, and I, as Konoha's Saviour, cannot allow you to tarnish this delicate rose. Your gloominess and oppressive nature must not be permitted to ruin the delicate growth of Konoha's youthful shinobi! You have already exuded your influence on Naruto-kun and my beloved Sakura-chan, but no longer! I, as the Green Beast-in-training, will challenge your black power, and eradicate your evil influence from this world! Your sour nature shall not destroy the youth that defines the strength of Konoha! I hereby challenge you to a battle to the death!"

Sasuke's mouth was gaping so wide open that several birds were considering it as their nesting place.

"L-Lee-san!" Hinata whimpered, hating herself for stuttering. "You p-pr-promised that you would l-listen to m-m-me!"

Sasuke became aware of the fact that he looked like an idiot of the highest order and snapped his mouth shut, upsetting a daring bluejay in the process.

For his part, Rock Lee seemed to be in full challenger mode. "Hinata-san, this black mark on the name of Konoha cannot be allowed to ruin the tender bud of youth! Without youth, there is no love, and without love, there is no Sakura-chan!"

"What the hell?" Sasuke snarled, incensed. "How did Sakura come into the middle of this?"

The taijutsu master struck what his sensei had assured him was a manly pose, fists clenched and one held up to emphasize his point. "Sakura-chan is the embodiment of all that is youthful and beautiful in this world! Her entire demeanor resembles the grace and power of the rising sun! Her hair is so very tender, like her nature, and her face – oh, her face! Youthfulness shines through every crevice in her sculpted features. She is like a goddess in the moonlight, a titan in the sunlight, and a nymph everywhere else. Her features exude grace and beauty and serenity, and her strength – oh, what determination! Her voice is like an angelic choir, her lips like sun-kissed apples, and her eyes shine like jade jewels that were a present from some privileged prince to his princess! She is the very incarnation of love, and worthy of nothing less than the mightiest shinobi!"

Silence. A drop of water fell from a tree. If someone had walked in on their little group right then, he would have thought it was a brilliant stage for a play. Hinata was still crouching on the rock, arms wrapped around herself, face a mixture of terror and awe. Sasuke's lower jaw was collecting dust on the forest floor, still somehow managing to convey a vague disgust. Lee was standing upright, his eyes shining, hair swirling around his head dramatically, arms upraised as though he was communicating with God as to the true inner beauty of Sakura Haruno.

Sasuke managed to retract his lower mandible sufficiently to utter one remark. "You're insane."

And then all hell broke loose.

The same observer who would have been quite shocked by their previous setup might have a seizure if he came upon the same setting two minutes later. Sasuke was flat on his back gurgling, his eyes rolling back in his head and his face turning an alarming shade of purple. Lee was on top of him, his hands encircled around Sasuke's neck, eyes flashing with an unholy fire, spouting off some nonsense about 'honour, youth, avenge, goddess, youth, eternal, undying love, youth, challenge, etc.'

And Hinata, timid little Hinata, had both her arms locked around Lee's biceps, tugging him back as hard as she could and only succeeding in suffocating Sasuke even harder. Her eyes were filled with horror, and her voice was desperately gabbling out words such as "Let him go, Lee-san!" and "He didn't mean it, Lee-san!"

At this point, a glimpse into the minds of the characters would be quite beneficial to understanding them. While posture and expressions usually explain most of what is going through a mind (even a shinobi mind), the intricate library of neural pathways that is our brain gives even more detail to all that the person in question is currently contemplating.

Sasuke, for all that he was being strangled, currently hosted several lines of thought in his mind. First and foremost, was, of course, to somehow detach the freakishly strong hold of this amorous lunatic. The second was wondering as to whether some form of help would arrive should he fail in the previous objective. The third was trying to listen to the words of a certain rescuer who was failing miserably in her attempt to save his life (or at least, his trachea and vocal cords).

But it was the fourth that was the real eye-catcher.

It concerned his teammate, Haruno Sakura. Or more specifically, it wondered as to whether she knew some strange medical ninjutsu that caused people to fall madly in love with her and worship her. This led to the question as to whether, if such a technique existed and Sakura knew it, then if the Honourable Hokage, Tsunade-sama, also known as 'Raving Bitch', had taught her this technique. Which, considering the amount of men running after the Hokage despite her extremely abnormal and frankly _dangerous_tendencies, would certainly explain Sakura's inexplicable popularity among young men.

Moving to another example of mental inventory, Rock Lee's mind was quite different from our suffocating protagonist's. He was currently multi-tasking with his own thought strands. The most prominent of those concerned simultaneously throttling Sasuke for his blatant disrespect (not only towards his beloved Sakura-chan, but also towards Hinata-san) while throwing off those small, feeble hands that were currently hooked underneath his armpits. The second wondered over what the aforementioned Hinata-san could possibly mean when she said that it was 'her fault'. The third was still exclaiming over the many virtues of his beloved Sakura-chan. And the fourth, strangely, or perhaps not so much, was alternating between worshipping Gai-sensei, training schedules, and considering the 'delicate flower of youth'.

Hinata's mind was focused on a single thought, even though it did house others. Her primary focus was on somehow disentangling Lee's hands from Sasuke's throat. Another was currently hyperventilating over the fact that Lee might tell Neji about her precious secret – that is, the fact that she was training with the_archenemy_, an _Uchiha_ of all people. The third had immediately followed the link from 'Sakura' to 'Naruto-kun's crush' to 'Naruto-kun' himself, and was blushing like an overwrought fangirl confronted with her 'one true love'.

The fourth was contemplating whether to use Jyuuken to subdue the troublesome round-eyed madman.

Sasuke turned a little more purple, and she made up her mind.

Swiftly standing straight, she raised her hands to the traditional position and said a single word – "Byakugan!"

Immediately, the entire world was bathed in stark shades of blue, and she could clearly see the tiny twinkles of all the pressure points in Lee's body. Pursing her lips, she targeted the nerve cluster at the base of his neck, and, with a swift jab, promptly knocked him out.

Lee, for his part, was too caught up in strangulation and thinking about Sakura to even notice the tiny little kuniochi behind him, much less guard himself from her attack. In the midst of youthful euphoria, his nervous system suddenly blew like a balloon that an overenthusiastic child had popped during a birthday party, and everything went black.

Sasuke, in the middle of thinking about strange plots between the Hokage and his most persistent fangirl, suddenly found that the crushing force on his windpipe had disappeared and that he was able to breathe again, albeit with a considerable amount of discomfort.

He took in a few deep breaths, before looking up to see an unconscious Lee with drool leaking out of his open mouth, and a strangely emotional Hinata with her Byakugan activated and fingers outstretched towards where Lee's skull must have been moments ago.

Slowly the dizzy youth stood up and surveyed the scene. The three of them were the only sentient beings in a one-mile radius. The clearing would grow back to its natural state if they left now, leaving no trace of their ever having been here. Lee was unconscious. And the finger-shaped bruises throbbing on his neck were very uncomfortable.

There was only one reasonable thing to do.

"I say we stick a kunai in his throat and hightail it out of here."

"S-Sasuke!"

* * *

Tsunade slammed a heavy fist down on her desk, exclaiming, "What the hell is she thinking?"

The table groaned and, having suffered constant abuse for its entire existence, promptly broke into two unequal halves, sending splinters flying everywhere.

Sitting in the most comfortable armchair in the entire room, Jiraiya raised a lazy eyebrow at Tsunade's antics, anticipating the ear-rattling scolding that Shizune was sure to give the Hokage for her blatant disregard towards the physical state of her furniture. "Just to specify, which she are we talking about here?"

"That dratted Hyuuga girl, of course!" Tsunade swore, tugging at tufts of her white-blonde hair. "Every time I think of exactly how to approach her situation, she changes her modus operandi! First, she starts cozying up with that younger Uchiha boy, and just when I've made up plans for the two of them, she's following Itachi like a lost duckling! She can't seem to make up her mind!"

Jiraiya would have been vastly amused by the sheer level of perplexity that Tsunade was displaying, but was far more interested in something else that she had mentioned. "What younger Uchiha? I was under the impression that Hinata was engaged to Uchiha Itachi."

"She's hanging around his younger brother, Sasuke or whatever. He's _training _her apparently." The last sentence came out in a sneer.

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow again. "And you know this _how_?"

"Because! I have Ibiki keeping tabs on her. And he says that they meet almost every day at one of the more remote training grounds to practice. Apparently, they have _moments_."

The Toad Sage wondered if he had heard that right. "Wait a minute. You're assigning Ibiki Morino, torture master extraordinaire, to _spy _on two innocent kids _training_?"

This perfectly understandable statement garnered him a contemptuous look from the beautiful warrior. "They're hardly innocent, Jiraiya. You know as well as I do that this is the prime time in a person's maturation in which they make foolish, impulsive decisions. Add to that the pressure of an impending arranged marriage and we have a recipe for disaster! I needed someone trustworthy to watch over the Hyuuga girl when she isn't in her house. God knows what she can do if left alone with an attractive member of the opposite sex."

"Yes, of course, don't trust that sweet, innocent girl. Force her to marry someone, sure, but don't trust her, because she's foolish and impulsive and could destroy your plans, right?" Jiraiya's voice was colder than the Snow Country's worst frost.

Those cool and lofty tones melted against the heat of her ire. "You know as well as I do that this isn't my fault at all! If anyone is to blame, it's Uchiha Fugaku, Hyuuga Hiashi, and Sarutobi-sensei!"

The jab to her honorable predecessor awakened the laid-back man's ire. "Tsunade, do you honestly expect me to believe that you had no hand in the making of the contract? That all the medical implications were simply hidden to you? That _you_, who had been so enthusiastic about the intermixing of blood limits, would be indifferent towards the possibilities generated from a Hyuuga-Uchiha union? I know you think that I am a flirt and a pervert and a useless entity, but please don't go so far as to mistake me for a fool."

Tsunade sat down heavily in her chair, leaning back to rest her neck. If the table had still been intact, then she no doubt would have utilized it to bang her head against repeatedly, but the damage had already been done.

Silence ruled in the Hokage's chamber for a few moments – silence that arose from the heavy weight of Jiraiya's accusations. Tsunade knew that he was no fool, and yet the idea that this lazy lecher had deciphered her role in the impending Uchiha-Hyuuga union so quickly and precisely was frightening. Despite their long and storied history, Jiraiya would always be the weak link in the legendary Sannin team, inferior to both her and Orochimaru's brilliance, and incapable of touching the heights that the two of them could achieve. Therefore his cold and calculated deduction of the exact balance of power in this extremely important alliance scared her a little, and made her wonder about the exact motivation behind his offer to be personal trainer to the Hyuuga girl. Perhaps he was only pretending to be an instructor so that he could watch from the best spot on the sidelines and keep himself as informed as possible.

Whatever the case, Tsunade's cleverly concealed but still prejudiced persona bristled under the disapproving gaze of _Jiraiya_. Even though he was a sannin in his own right, the very idea that puny little Jiraiya, the least impressive person in their team, was actually behaving condescendingly towards _her_, who was not only closely related to both the first and the second Hokage, but also a highly accomplished medical ninja, a sannin, and Hokage of Konoha to boot, was as disagreeable to her as an unexplained winning streak at the gambling table.

Fidgeting under his gaze, she hastily strove towards reverting the subject back to its original focus. "I didn't even know that she had it in her. The Hyuuga girl, I mean. Stringing along two boys like that…"

The remark was cruel and cutting. Like most bad-willed comments, it too suffered a sharp comeback. "You would understand, though, wouldn't you, Tsunade? What it means to string along two men at the same time, breaking both their hearts? I think you would be the foremost expert on _that _subject."

Jiraiya's fury, though concealed, filled the whole room with deadly intent. Its target flushed bright red. Her mouth immediately opened to deliver another stinging line, but closed again, knowing that _this_was one accusation she could not refute. A vague guilt rose in her, inspired by the antics of a younger version of herself. She vaguely remembered days of delight over the pain that she was putting her two teammates through, the way they slaved over her every wish.

But she wasn't that person now, and Tsunade wished she never had been.

She almost apologized to Jiraiya at that very moment, almost begged for forgiveness for the torture that she had put him through, but stopped at the very last second. She knew that he would not believe her, that he would assume that she was only spouting those words as a half-hearted attempt to change the subject. Jiraiya was sweet-natured, but in matters of forgiveness, he was as hard as a rock, and Tsunade knew that for all his friendliness towards her, this was one subject on which he would not budge. He resented her for her attitude when she was younger, and he always would.

"The Kazekage is arriving tomorrow," Jiraiya suddenly remarked, his voice muted.

She glanced up, surprised. The topic was obviously not of any interest to him, but he was obliging her, trying to defuse the unhelpful mood. She felt a wave of gratitude wash over her for his consideration. He had evolved from the hard, bitter man he used to be into someone far more considerate and caring.

"Yes," she said, clearing her throat. "Yes, that's right. I have made accommodations for him at the Hyuuga compound. If anyone in this village knows how to meet all their guests' needs, then it is the Hyuuga."

"Do you have any idea as to why he is coming here?" Her old teammate's voice was quiet, uninterested, but his eyes were sharp.

Tsunade stood up once more and began to pace the length of the room. "There is no confirmed reason as of yet, but…" She hesitated.

He was quick to pick up on her obvious reluctance. "But what?" he pressed.

"My… _acquaintances_… in Suna's system seem to think that it is because the Kazekage is looking for a Protection Pact under Konoha."

Jiraiya's eyebrows all but disappeared into his hair. "A Protection Pact? Are you sure, Tsunade? This is Suna we are talking about – one of the five great Shinobi nations. If they form a Protection Pact with us, then they will become subservient to us. Suna has never shown any inclination to come underneath anyone before. They are proud and independent."

"Suna's never quite been in the same situation before, either." Tsunade bit her bottom lip. "They're under constant threat from an unknown force, their shinobi population is severely decimated, extensive rebuilding is taking place. For the past few months, we have assisted them with their reinforcements, but with the recall of our shinobi…" She trailed off.

The tightening around her eyes got his immediate attention. "Are you considering taking them under your protection?" It was a loaded question, full of thick implications.

Tsunade sighed, turning to face the window that looked out on the rest of the village. "I don't know yet, Jiraiya. The Sand is our valuable ally, and they may take offense if I refuse to accept them. On the other hand, we are already under threat, and to spread out our shinobi to Sand territory will only further weaken our defenses, making us vulnerable for another attack."

"The Sand is not more important than Konoha, Tsunade."

"You don't understand!" his superior exclaimed in frustration, slamming her hand down on the broken remnants of her desk. "If I say no to the Sand, then they will undoubtedly seek assistance from the Grass and the Lightning. And those two have already made it clear that they want nothing to do with the Sand as long as we are affiliated with them, so the Sand will break off with Konoha for assistance from our enemies. That turns _three_great villages against us, not to mention the Sound. And the Mist isn't too eager to come to our rescue, either. We will be virtually defenseless against the combined force of the four villages. We can't afford those kinds of odds, Jiraiya, not again. We've lost enough as it is."

"Do you have any more information about the threat against us?" he asked gravely.

The Hidden Leaf Village leader sighed, wearily turning back to the window. "I've sent ANBU out, but there isn't much information. All I know is that Orochimaru is moving his troops near Grass territory, and that several of our foreign contacts have been overwhelmed suddenly. All our communications with the Grass and the Lightning have stopped, and the Cloud is acting distinctly unfriendly. There have been reports of Lightning shinobi moving closer to the Mist, and even encroaching upon the Land of Fire. This worries me, because if the Mist is ambushed at the same time as Konoha, then we will have no way to protect each other."

"The Sand will be more of a liability than an asset in case a war breaks out, Tsunade. If they are ambushed again, then we will be forced to send our shinobi, thereby weakening our defenses."

"I know that, but I also know that the Sand cannot survive without assistance for now. In case a war does break out, then isn't it better to sacrifice a few of our shinobi for their defense and keep an ally instead of estranging them and lose our shinobi against _their_ attack? If the Sand will not receive assistance from us, then I have no doubt that they will approach the Grass or the Lightning, and that will immediately nullify their relationship with us."

She slumped back heavily in her seat, leaning her head against one hand and regarding him steadily. "Furthermore, Orochimaru is lurking in the shadows. We cannot afford to ignore him, Jiraiya. Konoha pretends that the Sound is a mere fantasy, a weak establishment, but the truth is that it is very strong, and that its ruler has sworn to eradicate us at all costs. The previous Sand-Sound attack was devastating, and a combined onslaught from not only the Sand and the Sound, but also the Lightning and the Grass is frightening. We are still recovering from the attack five years ago. Our economy is crippled and built on slow equity and loans, and our merchants are indebted to our enemies. Our slain shinobi have yet to be replaced, and our resources are depleted. Even if we do somehow manage to survive the war, we would be virtually impoverished at its end, and many shinobi would die. It will be another Great War, and who will suffer? We will. Not just the shinobi, but also the civilians. We will all die, without an ally to support us. The few survivors will be systematically eradicated by the Sand, the Lightning, the Grass, or the Sound. They will have no place to go, and they will _die_, Jiraiya."

Her former lover leaned forward in his seat and settled his hands on his knees. "What about the Cloud? Are they amenable towards us?"

Tsunade gave a snort. "Using the Cloud would be the biggest folly ever committed, and I do not intend to be the Hokage who goes down in history for making that blunder. You know that it was Cloud ninja who kidnapped the Hyuuga heiress. Despise her though they might, the Hyuuga are very tight-knit in clan matters, and they will take great offense if their enemies became our allies. Their children are our shinobi, but they might just detach themselves from our ranks and join some other village. It's been done before. If the Hyuuga leave Konoha, then not only will our defenses be reduced, but our economy will also be severely crippled. They provide the support for our merchants and traders to go about their business. Furthermore, they played an invaluable role in fending off the previous attackers. Do you really want to lose the Byakugan?"

"To say nothing of the fact that the Cloud isn't a Great Village anymore," she continued. "Not really. Two years ago, they too were attacked in the same manner that Suna was, and they have never really recovered from the backlash. They will be more of a liability than an asset. They are close to the Lightning, but the Lighting is cautious, and does not let its shinobi roam far. Not that I blame them – with an unpredictable Orochimaru rising, there was little that anybody could do but keep on their guard."

"So what will you do when the Suna convoy arrives?" Jiraiya continued to press her without mercy. If anyone had earned the right to question the Hokage this much, it was him. "What if the Kazekage's demands are too high?"

And Tsunade closed her eyes. "I don't know, Jiraiya. We'll just have to wait and watch, I suppose."

* * *

**Review, review, review. Pretty please.**


	19. The Alignment of the Pieces

**Yes, I know it has been forever, but this chapter is potentially one of the most important chapters up to date. It constitutes several vital events that take place.**

**On a side note, the first nine chapters have been revised and our now hopefully better than what they used to be. Please check them out.**

**Apparently challenges are no longer in vogue. Anybody still interested can contact me, though.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter. Standard disclaimer applies, and more in the bottom.**

* * *

Chapter 19

The Alignment of the Pieces

To say that everything was perfectly all right would be the understatement of the millennium.

He was currently being overwhelmed by five enemy shinobi, underwhelmed by his colleagues' performance, and fighting desperately to save his life. Add to this the fact that his life was actually in danger never made for a very comfy situation.

He felt, or rather, the _Sharingan_ felt someone throw a kick in his direction, and immediately blocked it, twisting the offending leg until he heard it snap. A man considered 'normal' might have winced at the terrible sound of tendons groaning and giving way, but a shinobi did not. And neither did a butcher.

Itachi's greatest strength was his ability to fight, and his greatest weakness was that small, suppressed-but-still-present part of him that rarely appeared but when it did, started a running commentary about the current events. This long absent part of his mind had currently decided to make an appearance, and, as a result, a part of Itachi's mind was commenting on the smell from the armpits of his assaulter right now.

Another man might have called him a schizophrenic. Itachi Uchiha merely thought of this as multi-tasking.

Then again, he was just about the farthest thing from what mere mortals like us would consider 'normal'.

He felt slightly frustrated at exactly how outmatched his team was. The possibility of defeat had very clearly begun to manifest itself in his mind, and he did not like it one bit. He was Uchiha Itachi, son and heir of Fugaku, and he seldom lost. However, his defeats, while few and far between, were certainly not deniable, and it seemed like today would put another black mark on his career.

Having pursued his occupation since he was a child of seven, Itachi had been a diligent worker for most of his life. This year would complete fourteen years in service, no small feat for a 21 year old. He had the unique distinction of not only being crowned Konoha's youngest ANBU member, but also having the lowest record of member deaths in his squad. Today, however, it seemed that the toll was due to rise – which was not a good factor considering the amount of experienced ninja Konoha had left to defend its walls. He was sure that Tsunade would have his head.

It was that last thought that proved to be the fatal flaw. An image of Tsunade, resplendent in her terrifying glory, like the hundred-armed goddess, rose in his mind, her fury at having more shinobi deaths echoing through those educated caverns. He was distracted – just for a moment – but it was that one moment that sealed his fate. A burly, strapped arm gashed through him, tearing apart skin and muscle and bone, going right through his torso to emerge at the other side like Hephaestus' iron fist. He gasped, feeling the limb rip apart his intestines, knowing at that moment that he was possibly fatally wounded. He felt the blood gush out of the open wound, feeling his vision blur due to extensive blood loss. He knew at that moment that they had lost, that defeat had pointed its ugly head towards their side. There was no way that Anko and the medic-whose-name-no-one-knew could win against these freakishly skilled shinobi. He had been their only hope, however conceited that might sound, and now that he was gone, they would all die, or worse, be taken prisoner.

He could feel his eyesight becoming dim, hear the blood pounding in his ears, and he feverishly hoped that he would make it alive through this. He was not a martyr – he never had been. He had no desire to have his name engraved on that black monument that was dedicated to Konoha's heroes. He was a survivor, and he usually ensured that he made it through whatever situation there was. Now that the odds were this bad, however, he had serious doubts about whether he was ever able to see his beloved hometown again.

That small rational part of him that was left should have been screaming at its owner and creator to rectify his fatal mistake. However, it was far more concerned with praying to whatever gods there were to somehow leave him and his teammates alive. They deserved to live. If the world had any ounce of fairness in it, then Uchiha Itachi, Mitarashi Anko and the unnamed medic would make it safe and sound back to their village. However, the world seemed to take a delightful pleasure in foregoing all noble values and systems, and the gods above played with mortals lives' as through they were puppets.

The sky above blurred, the edges going dark. He knew that his body was going into shock, that it would shut down in an attempt to prevent any more damage, and he fervently hoped that he would wake from this sleep – and preferably in this world.

Then the night sky closed over him, and he faded.

* * *

A cold breeze blew through the streets of the Uchiha compound, signifying the chill that was to come. Uchiha Fugaku's eyes sprang wide open from the meditative pose in which they had been, immediately swiveling around to gaze at the shrine of his late wife. He was seated in the enormous incense-filled room that was dedicated to all the late family members of the Uchiha heads, praying to his ancestors to guide him through whatever was going through the village. He had faith that his predecessors would bless him to ensure that he lead the Uchiha safely through whatever was to come.

Now, however, he could feel the fine hairs on the back of his elegant neck standing straight up. Looking at the oft-forgotten shrine dedicated to his late consort, a gradual dread began growing in his mind. The flowers arranged around the shrine had wilted, their browned petals floating away in the breeze, and the one of the incense sticks had been put out.

"Mikoto," he whispered fearfully, addressing his wife for the first time in many months. "What has happened?"

* * *

Being a first-generation shinobi was hard enough without the added pressures of an erratic love life to weigh you down.

Sakura, however, was no stranger to heavy loads, and she bore hers with determination seldom found anywhere else. Although she had no particular inherited physical characteristic that would help her in a fight, she had plenty of mental strength needed to slowly shoulder her burden and walk along. It might take her more time than others, but when she reached the end, then she would have more knowledge and experience than they did. She was the tortoise, not the hare.

Being born in a family of bakers had proved disadvantageous to the pink-haired shinobi during her experience as a ninja. Bakery, while an art that produced many tasty condiments, was not conducive towards learning how to defend your village, and thus she had lagged behind in practical sessions. Being intelligent otherwise, her theoretical knowledge had far surpassed those of her classmates, but her practical prowess had been severely lacking, simply because of her unfamiliarity with the many different techniques. Most of the members of the Rookie 9 had been fortunate enough to come from shinobi families. Kiba, Shino, Hinata, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, Sasuke – all of them had been educated beforehand by their family members. While the Academy decreed it to be perfectly all right for a child to learn how to fight when she was seven, the clans, in an attempt to ensure that their child was the best, insisted that they start the training of their members much earlier. Sakura knew that Ino's mind-control training had begun when she was only five years old. That gave her two years of more experience than Sakura. And some of the others, like Shikamaru and Hinata, had started theirs much before that.

It was inconvenient, not having a kekkai genkai. The result had clearly shown in the first stage of the chuunin exam that they had given five years ago. The modus operandi of the test was to cheat, and indeed, everyone else had cheated. All their kekkai genkai's had come to use. Hinata's Byakugan, Ino's mind control, Sasuke's Sharingan, Kiba's dog, Shino's insects, Shikamaru's shadows, and Chouji's body fat – they had all come in useful. It was only Sakura who had the knowledge to be able to answer all the questions without cheating.

Yes, there was another person in the Rookie 9 without a single bit of hereditary benefits whatsoever – her teammate and admirer, Naruto. But then again, Naruto had other… skills… that hadn't been seen before. Sakura was well-read, and she could recognize most kekkai genkai once she had seen their function and operation, but never had she heard about a kekkai genkai that allowed the members to heal supernaturally. Naruto's healing speed was legendary. Also his chakra reserves were exemplary. She was sure that he couldn't be from just another civilian family like she was – it just wasn't possible. He might have been from a Protected Clan – one of the clans that were in such danger from an outside force that the very trace of their identity had been completely deleted. Because he was an orphan, there was no conclusive way to prove her theory, but she was certain that it was the only option. After all, he was human.

Having struggled harder than most in the Rookie 9, Sakura had felt defeated and depressed at first. It was so much harder for her to compete with everyone else. No matter how hard she practiced, no matter how long she worked, she could never achieve the fluidity and grace that characterized her other colleagues. This inability had frustrated her, and led to her working her heart out. She would bruise her entire body in an attempt to equal the grace of her counterparts, and the moment she gained some confidence, she would see one of them practicing, and lose it all again. She simply could not match the standard that they had achieved.

Civilian children did not often attempt to become shinobi. The ones without a kekkai genkai had come from a long line of shinobi, and their parents had the foresight to train them beforehand. It had been a relief to find first-generation shinobi like herself in two members of Team Gai – Tenten and Lee. However, Tenten's father was a blacksmith who worked almost exclusively with weapons, and in her early years had taught her to use many shinobi weapons. A first generation shinobi she might be, but Tenten had progressed far ahead of where Sakura could go.

It was Lee who she could most identify with.

Lee was an orphan like Naruto. He, too, was a presumed first-generation shinobi. He had no kekkai genkai, and was cursed with another major problem – his inability to perform ninjutsu or genjutsu.

And yet, he had succeeded. He had persevered, and now as a taijutsu master and an extremely capable shinobi. He had trained and trained, broken his body time and again, and never given up. Sure, he might have lost all fashion sense on the path, and developed a rather unhealthy obsession with youth, but he was a respected shinobi. Nobody could say that Rock Lee was weak.

And he inspired her. She would never admit it to anybody else, but she felt slightly awestruck when he matched members of other shinobi houses easily. He had been the person who had indirectly motivated her to continue her training with Tsunade, brutal though it may be. And because of this slightly strange and hidden connection, Sakura harbored a certain amount of affection for the Green Beast- in training. Not romantic affection, nor friendly affection – if anything, it resembled idolatry.

Which was why she was extremely concerned as she looked at her most vociferous admirer and the person who had secretly inspired her lying motionless on a hospital bed. He had been discovered by some patrol-nin in the forest today morning, unconscious and covered in leaves and dew. Obviously, he had been there for quite a while. The finding of one of Konoha's most capable shinobi lying defeated had raised quite a hue and cry in the hospital. People had been insisting that some sort of attack may have occurred, that some other village may have attacked Konoha. To confirm a medical diagnosis that would prove if Lee had been attacked by a member of a clan belonging to an enemy village, he had been reassigned to Sakura.

Now, after checking up on him, Sakura was mostly confused. He was simply unconscious due to a chakra block to his brain. Now that she had untangles the pathways he would be up and running within a half-hour. However, the method of the block was slightly more doubtful. It was, without a doubt, a Hyuuga Jyuuken move.

Maybe he was practicing with Neji-san, Sakura mused. But why would Neji leave his teammate lying on a forest floor? And why would they be practicing in a forest in the first place?

She shrugged. Lee would be up soon enough, and he would tell them the entire story.

* * *

To say that Hyuuga Hiashi was pleased would be like saying that a cat loved cream – it was that obvious.

The fact that he was currently striding down the hallway of the Hyuuga compound with a smile on his lips and a song in his heart – or rather, a whistle that penetrated the cold of the morning air with the sharpness of a kitchen knife – was miraculous enough in itself. Hyuuga Hiashi never, ever whistled. He shouted, screamed, and intimidated. Whistling was the job of those who actually possessed a heart.

Many of his relatives were wondering if some enemy clan had managed to infiltrate them in the guise of their Leader.

Hiashi considered that nonsense. He was perfectly sure that if the rest of the Hyuuga knew the reasons for his rather shocking display of positive emotions, they would be just as jubilant as he was. After all, today was the day that his name was inscribed in the list of the "Great Leaders of the Hyuuga."

He would have thought that it would have gone down in history with the arrangement of the union between the Hyuuga and the Uchiha, but no. Apparently that only required the name of Hinata – and that too after she was married and had delivered a miracle baby.

But today was his day, the day that generations of Hyuuga to come would remember him for. He would be the one to uplift the clan out of its current state and take it to a whole new level. The prosperity would be such that even the lowliest branch-house member would feast on honey and wine.

Today was the day that Suna granted the Hyuuga an exclusive contract for sole export of all silk cloth inside its boundaries.

The Hyuuga were a warrior clan, but they were smart. They knew that simply training their shinobi and loaning them out to villages would never gain them the level of aristocracy that they desired. And so a century ago, Yugiko Hyuuga had come up with a fail-proof plan – he had affiliated them to one of the then-new villages, Konoha.

This plan had been met with huge opposition from the members of the clan. The Hyuuga were traditionally a traveling family, and an affiliation meant that they were now confined to one village. Moreover, Konoha was a new village, not having obtained the resources that would signify it as one of the strongest players in the game of the world. But Yugiko had the foresight to recognize that Konoha's leader, the First Hokage, was a far-seeing man. He would take Konoha far, and along with it, the Hyuuga. The Hyuuga would never gain the level of prestige they craved if they had been wanderers. Now a powerful clan in a blossoming village, their importance grew a hundred-fold.

Moreover, Yugiko introduced one other change. He expanded the Hyuuga business from simply loaning shinobi out to trade. Now all Hyuuga shinobi were Konoha shinobi, and at Konoha's disposal, but the Hyuuga controlled many of Konoha's trade facilities. Moreover, they could trade with any or all of Konoha's allies as long as they obtained permission from the Hokage and did not engage in weapon trading. The Hyuuga had studiously followed these ground rules, and currently had a monopoly over most of the cloth manufacture in both Konoha and the Mist.

Cloth manufacture was undertaken by the civilian members of the clan. The Hyuuga prided themselves on their aesthetic sense and style, and this showed in the wonderful patterns they created. Hyuuga cloth was in high demand in the Village, and the Hyuuga earned most of their substantial income through it.

Now, Hiashi planned to expand his business to the Sand. While currently economically unstable due to the attack, the Sand had excellent business opportunities. If he was able to open up an enterprise there as well, the flow of cash into the Hyuuga coffers would increase by quite an amount.

Never before had a Hyuuga head had this opportunity. Before, the Hyuuga had engaged in light trade with the Cloud, but their offensive actions had led to their exclusion from the Hyuuga group. The Sand had only become allied with Konoha five years ago, and since then Hiashi had been looking for an opportunity to spread his tentacles into the desert country.

Now finally his opportunity had appeared. The Hokage was indebted to him, which meant that she could not refuse his offer of a trade alliance with the Sand. The Sand was economically unstable and would welcome a new entrepreneur into their ranks. Finishing up the delightful list was the fact that the Kazekage would be residing at the Hyuuga compound, thus providing Hiashi with ample time to persuade him to accept his offer. Moreover, the Kazekage would feel indebted to his host and feel obliged to accept.

It seemed like all the pieces were falling perfectly into place. The Kazekage was due to arrive at noon. The house had been scrubbed clean and redesigned so as to compliment the traditions of the Sand. Nothing was out of place. Everything was going to be perfect.

He had no idea how wrong he was.

* * *

Hinata woke up with a scream.

She had just had the worst nightmare possible. Somehow Lee had discovered her and Sasuke training, and had demanded that she tell all. Due to extenuating circumstances, she had eventually been forced to knock out Lee in the middle of the forest and flee with Sasuke.

Oh wait. That had really happened.

She buried her head between her knees, pressing her hands over her face in an attempt to silence her scream of horror. What had she been thinking? Why had she let herself be caught by Lee of all people? Why hadn't she simply told him the whole story and begged him to keep it quiet? Why had she knocked him out, _and _left him drooling in the middle of a forest floor? Now he would come and tell all to Neji-nii-san for sure, and then Neji would kill her slowly and painfully…

Needless to say, she was rather fraught.

The stabs of guilt hit deepest, and it was this very emotional weapon that was hurting Hinata's conscience now. Neji's hatred for the Uchiha was legendary, bred by a repeated brainwashing against them and a rivalry against Sasuke. He was frustrated because he knew that he was just as much of a genius as Itachi, and yet he would never be able to achieve the heights that Itachi had scaled simply because he had the misfortune of being born in the Branch House. This knowledge bred hatred and contempt in his mind, and that had soon reached out the envelope the entire Uchiha clan. He had been against her union with their heir from the very start, but being an insignificant Protector, his protests were ignored and brushed aside.

Hinata was no fan of the Uchiha as it was – the cultural rivalry was far too great to ever really overcome. Her impending wedding, however, had broadened up her mind a little bit, and caused her to accept them as a clan, if not as great as the Hyuuga (because clan pride overcame all), then still as one which was noble. She had to spend the rest of her life with them, so why not pass it in harmony?

Neji, however, had no such inhibitions. He always had, and always would, hate the Uchiha. That is why the very idea of him finding about her secret liaisons with Sasuke, no matter however innocent and platonic, was terrifying.

And now that Lee knew, and she had abandoned him, he would surely tell Neji. And Neji would murder her using all the forms of torture that he had ever been taught, which numbered well over a hundred.

The broken and mangled body of the Hyuuga ex-heiress would be found in a gutter, tossed after being brutally tortured. Reason? Unknown. Neji was a scarily concise shinobi.

A sudden knock on the door lifted her out of her reverie. She slipped out of bed, drawing her dressing gown closer to herself, and opened it, wondering as to who would come calling so early. The first rays of dawn were barely touching the sky, and the west was as of yet untouched. The cold chill of the morning air added a bite to the atmosphere, signifying that winter was on its way even in the warm, tropical echoes of Konoha. The leaves had fallen from the trees, creating a cold, stark beauty in the Hyuuga garden, and a light mist hung over the koi pond at the center of the pavilion and haunted around the walls facing the lake. One could see their own breath in front of them, puffing out in small white clouds reminiscent of a child's cotton candy, and the dewdrops were cold as they dripped from the rafters. The made small 'plink' sounds as they fell on the immaculately waxed traditional wooden floor, leaving behind nothing but residue as they evaporated into white mist.

The floor was cold, and Hinata shivered as she pattered across it, beginning to feel the chill seep up her legs. Opening the door, she was slightly startled to see her tutor, Shizune, standing outside with a rather harried expression, along with a younger woman, whom Hinata recognized immediately as one of her elder cousins, Hyuuga Kanahiko, one of the nicer members of the Branch House.

"Hinata," Shizune's voice was abrupt, hurried. "I am glad to see that you are awake. We have a long day in front of us, and not enough time to complete everything."

She stepped inside, striding immediately to the coal brazier to light it once more. As the flames from the black pot lit up the room, Hinata relaxed just a little bit, feeling just the tiniest bit of warmth beginning to infuse itself in the atmosphere.

"This is Kanahiko-san," Shizune said, gesturing towards the other woman. Hinata turned towards her relative, who immediately bowed deeply, as was custom for a Branch House member to behave towards a Main House member. "She will be assisting you during your examination today."

It felt as though a small ball of lead had suddenly dropped in her stomach. Examination? She had not been informed of any sort of examination to take place today –

"As you well know, the Kazekage is due to arrive today."

Hinata felt a shock run through her body. In all her mooning over the consequences of Neji finding out about her secret meetings with his arch-enemy, she had entirely forgotten that the Leader of Sunagakure was due to arrive at the Hyuuga Compound today. She had been warned weeks beforehand, in order to prepare herself adequately for the arrival of a potential ally, but because of her hectic schedule and the conflicts that had risen in her mind, had completely forgotten that he was even to come at all. The implications were so great that she felt herself shudder in apprehension.

Thankfully Shizune didn't notice her internal conflict and continued as before. "Jiraiya-sama and I have found it appropriate to test your knowledge of what we have taught you so far. You will dress and present yourself today. Kanahiko-san is here to assist you in bringing anything you need, but will not offer any guidance whatsoever. Keep in mind that this is a formal occasion, and that it may have great implications on your clan's relations with a powerful village. You are necessary to this union as you play a supportive role. However, you are not the lady of the house here, as you will be in the Uchiha house, and thus you should forego all that we have taught you in that context. Simply dress well and behave accordingly."

And with that Shizune swept out of the room, her yukata sweeping along the floor as she left.

Hinata felt faint, a development which sickened her, both mentally and physically. To dress herself for such an important occasion as this was like committing suicide. There was no way she could get it right. Father would chew her out for sure.

And on top of that, it would take up the entire morning. She wouldn't be able to meet Sasuke for training as she had planned.

She hoped he wouldn't be too annoyed.

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke was annoyed.

This rather negative emotion stemmed from the fact that he had risen at 3 'o' clock that morning in order to pace around his room and think of appropriate things to say to a girl that he was training, with whom he had successfully knocked out a man and abandoned him in the middle of the woods, who was engaged to his brother, and who he was potentially in love with.

Needless to say, this amalgam did not create a large pool of conversation topics.

After pacing up and down for two hours (in the bitter cold, he might add, although that was mostly due to his own forgetfulness in relighting the coal brazier), he had finally mustered enough courage to get dressed and go to the training grounds at five 'o' clock sharp. He knew that he still had another half hour before he was due to rendezvous with his student, but he wanted to compose himself beforehand.

And he had waited.

Half an hour had passed.

An hour had passed.

Two hours had passed.

And now it was 11:30.

Hinata was 6 hours late.

He had waited in vain for her to come all day. Many times he had contemplated leaving, but then hope would wrap its everlasting tendrils around his heart, and he would wait – just for another 5 minutes, he promised himself.

And of course, those 5 minutes went on forever.

She wasn't coming. He tried to wrap his head around that fact. She had never missed a class before. Not even when it was pouring and he himself had suggested that they skip.

Was it because of what had happened yesterday? Had her cousin somehow found out and forbidden her from coming?

A cold fist wrapped itself around his heart and squeezed. If Neji had found out… that bastard hated him, he wouldn't let Hinata come and see him anymore…

He sat down gloomily on the grass to wait longer, the stubborn, unbelieving part of him refusing to leave.

The dew on the grass wet his pants and socks.

Today really couldn't get any worse.

A cuckoo promptly squawked, and, as if to defy him, pooped on his hair.

He took that statement back. It just got worse.

* * *

The dark-haired man narrowed his eyes at the informant, sizing the shinobi up. The object of his gaze shivered internally, but kept a cool demeanor outside, knowing that any sign of discomfort would be taken as treachery and that he would immediately be executed.

Sure enough, eventually the Snake's feature's transformed into a smile that was so evil, it would have won the award for "Most Evil Grin By A Villain" hands down. His tongue darted out to lick his lower lip – just like a snake, the informant noted – and then spoke, in a voice that rattled like a cobra's hiss.

"Is it really true, Baku? Has the Sand Prince finally left his abode?"

Baku nodded, trying to avoid opening his mouth. He was not sure whether he could form coherent sentences in front of this monster.

The long-haired atrocity's lips stretched farther into a grin, pulling his skin over his bones. "Kabuto!" he called out imperiously to the silver-haired, bespectacled ninja standing guard near the door. "The time has come for the operation to start. Soon, all our goals will be achieved!"

And with that, his mad laughter rang across the cold stone dungeon, and his golden eyes gleamed with insolent mirth, gazing out from within a skeletal face with bone-white skin.

* * *

The pieces started arranging themselves across the continent, sliding into place with startling precision, as the gods watched from above, playing their foolish game with mortals' lives' to spare. Their entertainment, brewing for decades now, was coming to a climax, and soon it would fulfill their bloody dreams. The chessboard was almost in place – all that was left was to make the first move.

* * *

**The first three people who can guess the identity of the unnamed villain in the second-last section will get cameos in the story.  
Also, please don't kill me. You have to understand - I had to do that to Itachi.**

**conorlover out. I'll try to update soon. Please review! **


	20. The Hokage's Curse

**Yay!**

**We've officially reached the twentieth chapter! **

**Of course, unlike my rather romantic tendencies, this chapter does not contain anything special in it, unless it happens to be a (rather dubious) reassurance.**

**Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy yourself.**

**The reason this chapter took so long is the following: I had actually started the twentieth chapter immediately after finishing the nineteenth one. But the moment I finished it, my other computer crashed. So I, sullen and lazy, refused to write a new one because the other completed one was already written. I've finally gotten over my sullenness. **

**For more notes and explanations about this chapter, look below.**

* * *

Chapter 20

The Hokage's Curse

If there was one thing that Tsunade hated, it was some sort of interference with her plans. And the fates. Never forget those evil little buggers.

The Fates had always been against her, but never more than now. She was unaware of whether she had been born on some inauspicious day, but for some reason, whenever Tsunade felt really, truly happy or determined, those interfering elements just had to stick their heads in and make life difficult for her.

She would not even dwell upon incidents of the past. The loss of those dearest to her had always been a sensitive subject for Tsunade, and she was unwilling to further detriment her already ill-tempered mood into something vicious because of old defeats and disappointments. But the present – now that was another matter. The present concerned her now, and she had to consider it, infuriating as it was.

She had, with great deliberation, set into motion many series of events in the past year, and with great aplomb, now all her carefully-constructed plans were lying in shreds around her. She could only sit on her throne of gold and watch her palace crumble, the realization that the Fates would do anything to destroy her – not only ruin her own life, but also those of people under her protection – was looming in front of her.

She was the Hokage, and it was her responsibility to ensure that each and every citizen of Konoha was safe and sound from any sort of danger whatsoever. She had accepted her duty with dignity, and with a shrewdness that was only found in the cleverest of minds, had started weaving a web to ensure that Konoha would not be ground to dust under her regime. But the Fates, persistently after her life, had torn all her plans to pieces, and were beginning to undo all that she had painstakingly worked on.

It seemed to be a curse that inflicted not only her, but also her family and her predecessors. The Hokage's position was never without troubles that seemed to exceed those with the worst luck. Her grandfather, the First Hokage, had been in great danger as he tried to unite several small communities and clans to protect themselves and civilians by forming the nation-state of Konoha. It was him that Konoha thanked everyday for forming it, for being the Founder. It had been no easy job to create a new village – besides fending of threats from other, already enormous villages, he also had to negotiate with the clans that would constitute the new village, giving them responsibilities and commissions while ensuring that they did not rob him blind. Great strength of mind and willpower had been required for the drive and determination with which he had begun, and it was for those qualities that she admired him and felt proud to have descended from him.

The second Hokage was equally well-known. After the First's untimely death, his powerful and charismatic brother had stepped up, overcoming grief to lead his native village and his brother's legacy through troubling times. While the First had been challenged with hostilities while struggling to unite a diverse people in an increasingly competitive and bloodthirsty world, in reality it was the Second who had to firsthand experience the difficulties and tragedies of war. It was the Second who had led Konoha through the First Great Shinobi War, and who had made Konoha emerge through the shattered debris of the world as a major, power-toting player.

The losses suffered in the First Great Shinobi War had been enormous, and casualties were high. Konoha was a fragile state, but it had a determination in its veins to survive, and survive it had, even though at a great cost. Towards the end of the war, when Konoha was reveling in the glory of having been revealed as one of the strongest Villages around, tragedy struck – the Second was murdered while trying to protect his students.

Without a leader, Konoha floundered. Having become accustomed to being traditionally led by members of the same clan (the Senju), it was to that very family that they looked to now for guidance. Unfortunately, the strong members of the clan had all perished during the War or in related activities, and the current de facto leader was Tsunade herself, who was far too young and inexperienced to be qualified to ascend as leader.

The person who emerged into prominence at this troubled time was the future Third, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Although not from a prestigious clan, he had the unique distinction of not only being a very powerful warrior, but also of having studied under the first two Hokages themselves. Added to that was the fact that he had been handpicked by the Second to succeed him in his very last moments. His lack of pedigree, moreover, became an asset in his case – no one could argue that one clan was exerting far too much influence while the others were lacking in such comforts.

The reign of Sarutobi was by no means less tragic than that of his predecessors. He faced many difficulties from high-nosed clan members who sneered at his undistinguished lineage, along with regional difficulties like the poverty that had struck the land after the First Great Shinobi War. The members of some of the other Villages had followed a scorched-earth policy, and thus food was scarce in the regions of Konoha. The Third was left with an unstable country, clans vying for power, a starving population, and suspicious neighbours.

He did remarkably well, against the odds, proving to everyone that one did not need to be from a famous lineage in order to succeed. He remained calm and composed and deadly throughout his regime, acting with precision and accuracy after the end of the First War, and leading with a grim determination during the Second. He lost many friends and loyal shinobi during the Second War, but even as he was overcome by grief, he rose through his mourning to ensure that his country did not suffer for his mistakes. He lost two of his pupils, almost broke off with the third, and made many miscalculated decisions, but he survived, and that was more than could be said for any other person in the Village at that time.

As the War drew to a close, the Third made a tough decision, one that proved that he was not a power-hungry maniac. He recognized his weakness, his increasing age, and the power of the youth that flowed through Konoha. He knew that he was rather antiquated in his ways, and that to survive a brave, increasingly modern world, a young leader had to be placed at the helm. And so he decided to step down and choose an heir, a successor who would take his place as Hokage and continue to lead Konoha towards prosperity.

That successor was Minato Namikaze.

After being crowned the Fourth Hokage, Minato encountered a great deal of criticism for being the youngest ever to hold the post. However, his determination to succeed (which Naruto had inherited in great quantities) led him through the thorny path with a strength that resembled those of his predecessors. Konoha itself was rapturous about him, for he was the first Hokage whose coronation they could celebrate fully – the other two had been overshadowed by grief for their recently dead Hokages. Minato, thus, became not only the youngest leader, but also the first to succeed while his predecessor was still alive.

His good looks and easy charm attracted many followers, but it was to one that he truly lost his heart. Kushina Uzumaki was not exceptionally talented or beautiful, but her goodness shone around her like a halo and distinguished her from ordinary mortals. Minato, being of pure heart himself, could not resist this exceptional angel, and together they conceived a child who would grow up to become most extraordinary – Uzumaki Naruto.

Their happiness was short-lived. The interference of Madara Uchiha and the presence of the persistent nine-tailed jinchuuriki combined to ruin their delight at their new-born son's presence, and swiftly took away both their lives. Baby Naruto was left alone in a world where most of the people despised him.

Overcome with sadness at his sucessors untimely death, Sarutobi reluctantly agreed to resume the mantle of Hokage. His grief for his friends and acquaintances, however, was evident in the fact that he requested that the date of his recoronation be not one of celebration, but one of mourning. The village was in ruins, and its Hokage had nobly sacrificed his life for saving the smouldering remains of the village.

The spirit of Konoha, however, was indefatigable. Despite having been fraught with worried and obstacles since its very creation, Konoha once again raised its broken form from the ground and proceeded to rebuild itself – not only the village, but also its people. The new generation bustled to life, and once again it seemed like all was well.

Then tragedy struck again, this time extremely painful because it was not from an outside threat, but rather from a source that had been born in Konoha, even if he was a traitor. Orochimaru struck back in disguise, cleverly assuming the identity of the fourth Kazekage, and, although he was defeated, the cost was far too great. The Third paid for the defeat of his former student with his life.

The Village was thrust into mourning once more, but there was no time to waste. Immediately, Jiraiya had been sent out to appoint the future Hokage. He managed to locate her, and, after an encounter with the dreaded villain himself, brought her home to lead her village.

That shinobi was Tsunade.

Her life had always been marked by back luck, whether it was in personal losses like Dan and Nawaki or in other aspects. But never had she prayed for misfortune to grant her rest more than after her ascension as Hokage, for under her tutelage lay the lives of not only herself, but also of the citizens of Konoha.

As it was, the moment she had moved to strike a note on the instrument of Fate, it had rebounded and hit her hard.

As it was, the location of one of her premium shinobi, Uchiha Itachi, as well as Mitarashi Anko and a rather ordinary medic was unknown, presumed dead. The carefully-laid plans for an Uchiha-Hyuuga hybrid were going far too slowly to be of any use, and Akatsuki was rising somewhere, possibly collaborating with Orochimaru (although that was unlikely, owing to the inexplicable hatred between the two). Two of the Five Great Shinobi Villages were against them, one was frantically rebuilding itself while using _their _resources, and the last was an unpredictable, unreliable ally.

Their position was precarious enough, and Tsunade was sure that one wrong push from any of the players at the chessboard would mark the beginning of the Third Great Shinobi War, something that she fervently hoped would not come to pass during her lifetime, not only owing to her previous losses, but also because of her haemophobia. She was unsure if the sight of widespread death and destruction, of starvation, poverty, and hardship, could be borne by her any more.

And just as she became convinced that she was in the worst position impossible (unable to act for fear of starting a war, sitting around in a state of horrific anticipation), Fate had decided to throw its cards in her face by promptly taking the turn of events it had.

The delegation from Suna was to arrive today. The Kazekage and his brethren would be gracing Konoha with a visit that would undoubtedly strain Konoha's position even more. No matter how the meeting went, Konoha would either be bereft of manpower or allies by the end of this visit.

A knock from outside marked the beginning of an ominous, future-changing day. She turned, her graceful neck arching towards the umpteenth wooden door to be installed outside her office, throat emitting a gentle 'hm?' signaling permission for the knocker to enter. She looked up from her paperwork to see a nervous genin standing outside, his forehead beading with perspiration as he found himself to be in the presence of the first-ever female Hokage, one of the legendary sannin. He stuttered as he spoke: "Hokage-sama, Shizune-san has asked me to inform you that the delegation from Suna has arrived."

She nodded to the poor messenger, who promptly stumbled out of the office, as she stood, contemplating the ways in which she had changed since her childhood. Her trademark green jacket fluttered around her form as she proceeded from her safe sanctuary. She had deliberated for many days on this issue, had almost made up her mind, but the final answer would only be decided when it was time.

Her hazel eyes fell on the only pictures she kept on her desk, one of Nawaki and one of Dan. Both her men, her most precious loves, smiled up at her, blissfully unaware of their fates. She felt a sudden rush of affection for them, those loves of her, even as they lay decomposing somewhere. She remembered her earnest urge of make them proud, to protect them, and it was at that moment that an epiphany struck.

Nawaki and Dan – their foremost desire had been to protect the village. Even their dream of becoming Hokage had been based on a love and protective urge. As Hokage now, and in a position in which it was her responsibility to decide the fate of the village, wasn't it her duty to follow their legacies and make them proud?

She strode out of the room, somewhat taller now, having made up her mind. On her shoulders was the weight of the fates of her fellow citizens, and in her intentions was the direction to make the choice that would make or break the world.

The garden was certainly beautiful, he mused rather grumpily, with its weeping-willow trees and aesthetically-placed sculptures, the symbol of the Imperial Dragon visible in all of its glory. He wasn't sure that there was a garden to match this in all of Suna, but then again, Suna wasn't in the tropics. And besides, the desert had a whole other beauty of its own.

Needless to say, he was rather peeved with all of this. On any other day, he would have been displeased with having to leave Suna, but now, when he knew that the objective they had set out to complete would mean eternal slavery for his country, well, the days just got worse and worse, didn't they?

The shy, stuttering waif who stood in front of him did little to alleviate his mood. Although fond of the female gender as a whole, today he was in far too bad a mood to appreciate the variety that he had been presented with. Apart from this girl (obviously a Hyuuga, what with her pearly white eyes, and from the elitist Main House to boot, because she didn't have one of those seals on her forehead), he had met the extremely attractive Hokage's assistant, some lady named Shizune. _This _girl was named Hinata, and while he was fairly sure that she was an important someone-or-the-other (because of the quality of her kimono – he wasn't completely ignorant, you know. He was a Kage's son.), he couldn't be bothered to remember her name now. She (probably) didn't have any part in this heinous scheme of enslaving his country, but nevertheless, she was a citizen of Konoha, and that in itself was enough to inflame him for now.

The poor girl looked equally terrified of their group, which is to say mainly of Gaara. While there were seven shinobi in total who had accompanied the Kazekage, including himself, none were scarier than the man himself. This girl had undoubtedly heard of the horror stories related to Gaara, and her cringing showed that she was afraid of sitting near the Sand Beast. Training and good manners seemed to overcome her fear, though, and she was making nervous conversation with his brother while trying to smile (but miserably failing).

He could see that she was a shinobi, for calluses that no noblewoman would have tolerated marked her hands. Nevertheless, she did not seem to be very good at the art, what with her complete inability to hide her emotions.

Patricians, he thought with a sneer. Always proud to claim that they were the best, but in reality, how many of their clan members could even fight decently?

Gaara for his part looked passively bored. They had been drinking tea for the past half-hour, waiting for the Hokage to show up. The busty woman had yet to make an appearance, although the frantic young woman often reassured them that she was on her way. Nevertheless, even Gaara's patience had to wear thin soon, and Kankurou didn't look forward to seeing the useless girl's reaction when Gaara showed anger for the first time. She would either run, scream, or faint, or do all three.

It was already highly insulting in itself that Tsunade herself hadn't been at the gate to greet them. Guaranteed, it was usually a custom among the lower Kage's to wait anxiously at the entrance of the Village, and not one of the Kage's of the five great shinobi villages, but he was far too peeved to care about the delicacies of diplomatic conduct anymore.

Finally, a short man appeared on the roof above them. _Hinata _startled – unlike a _true _shinobi, he thought cruelly – and said emotionlessly "The Hokage is on her way."

Gaara straightened nominally, his visage just as calm and unaffected as earlier, except for the small glint of excitement and anticipation in the corner of his eye. Kankurou himself felt a hard lump – oddly like steel – encasing his throat.

It was time to play a dangerous game of dice in which no one could win.

The cavern wall was flickering.

He blinked again, the rationalist in him dismissing such an outworldly concept as a wall _flickering _of all things. When he opened his eyes once again – his mind cleared, more focused – then he found that instead of the wall flickering, it was merely the shadow of the fire which burnt bright.

Having barely regained consciousness from a near-death experience, he had not yet been able to resume his old level of shinobi reflexes. However, with a routine born from hours of practice in varying climates, including those of mind-numbing cold, he was able to focus himself enough to deduce the following:

He was very much alive. This was a revelation, considering the fact that he had almost resigned himself to death the last time he had been conscious (and being soundly thrashed).

There was a rather shapeless lump two-arms width across from him, through which strands of bright purple hair protruded. The figure rose and fell, indicating that it was very much alive. He softly muttered a prayer to God for leaving Anko alive.

He could smell the scent of firegoat in the air. The sweet smell of incense was rather overpowering, and seemed to be lulling him to sleep.

He was covered in a blanket that was embroidered with sleepy pandas.

They were in the hands of an unknown enemy (an ally was unlikely since they were not in a medical facility). The reasons for the enemy kidnapping them (and leaving them alive) were unknown, but most likely because the enemy wanted to obtain confidential information from them.

If such enemy was indeed keeping them alive with the sole intention of extracting classified information, then he was very much mistaken in thinking that this was an easy job. Itachi would rather chew on hard nails than be made to betray his village.

There was something very sharp digging into his shoulder blade. If he just turned slightly, then... oh.

The sharp _thing _was actually a person's fingernails.

Said person was grinning predatorily at him.

"Well well well," Suigetsu's voice was infused with suppressed malicious laughter as he spoke to a horror-struck Itachi. "It seems like my little safety-ticket is finally awake."

* * *

**The reason I tried to refrain from expanding on Tsunade's past is because I've already done it before (in chapter 13).**

**Also, yes, Itachi is very much alive. You really think that I'd let the suspense die out like that? Nuh-uh.**

**As to his future state, however, I cannot assure you. He's in the hands of _Suigetsu_, after all. An extremely evil, desperate, OOC Suigetsu.**

**Also, the part about Kankurou was supposed to be WAY longer, as was the part about Itachi. Both covered about 2000 words respectively, and that was all that consisted of the previous version of the chapter. However, I found Kankurou's musings a bit silly, although I'll be expanding on that side of him in the future, and Itachi's original section seemed to reveal too much information. So I'll withhold the information for now.**

**Please review!**


	21. Hiatus Notice

**Dear readers,**

**I'm terribly sorry, but I shall have to discontinue this story temporarily. My final exams are up, and a combination of writer's block and tension is making me lose whatever inspiration I have. Also, the frustration from this is obviously affecting my studies.**

**However, this is only temporary. My exams will end on March 31'st, and after that I'll start uploading right away (if I can write).**

**Sincerely, **

**conorlover**


	22. Author's note: Discontinuation

I have something to say which I dare say will not be pleasant for more people.

In my last update, which was a hiatus notice, I had announced that, since my final exams were upon me, I would upload in April. Sadly, however, in these two months, I have completely revised the whole story, and come to find that Marriage of Convenience is sorely lacking in not only depth, but also in characterization and accuracy. Even though it is an AU, I had actually started this story without any knowledge of shippuden, except for what the characters looked like. Therefore, there are a lot of plot holes. Another gaping hole was the fact that there are many loose ends, something which I particularly despise in a story. Therefore, I am very sorry to announce that Marriage of Convenience is unfortunately not going to be updated anymore.

Before you start throwing curses left, right, and center towards me, I would like to interject another thing: Marriage of Convenience is going to be rewritten. I am going to read all of the Naruto chapters that have been released so far, and _then _I am going to rewrite Marriage of Convenience, with the same basic plot (Hinata being forcibly married off to Itachi, Sasuke falling in love with her, Hinata's confusion, etc.) but different, hopefully more sophisticated, language, a lack of plot holes, and a lack of all those chapters that are just resting there. I suddenly realised that there are so many filler chapters in this story! The whole story seems to be full of filler chapters, with one or two that seem to move the plot along.

I am going to put my twitter account's link below. Please keep in mind that you do have to remove the spaces, since ffnet does not allow you to post links. This particular account deals only with my fanfiction persona, and thus, I will keep you posted on my progress here. You will get to know the moment I finish reading the Naruto manga books, or finish the first chapter!

I understand that this must be upsetting for a lot of people, and I sincerely apologise to all of you. The fact remains that Marriage of Convenience was the first story that I had ever written, and I wrote this when I was 13. Three years have passed since then, and my style of writing has evolved and matured. I simply cannot continue writing in this style.

Since I do have a sentimental link to this story, I am going to keep it up. Also, I will post another author's note here when the new story will be uploaded, so if you see another alert from here, then you know that the new story is up.

A million thanks to all the fans of this story – you gave me confidence in my writing. I don't know how I could have survived without you! I am so sorry!

The link is this: twitter. com/ #! /conorlover_ff


	23. Notice: Rewrite is up!

**I'm glad to announce that the first chapter of the rewrite is finally up… so if any of you still remember this story and want to read the rewrite, it's on my profile under the tag of Marriage of Convenience II.**

**A few words of warning: the rewrite is completely different from this version. It contains much more angst and drama. Also, basically everything except for the first chapter from here has been thrown out. When I said "rewrite", what I basically meant was a completely different story with the same original plot, that is, Hinata being forced to marry Itachi.**

**The pairings still stand as ItaHina and/or SasuHina, for anyone who is interested.**

**Thanks. I look forward to hearing your views.**

**Love, AlienAgainstTheWorld (formerly Conorlover).**


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